Brits switched on to electric cars

More than half of British motorists expect their main car to be electric within the next five years, according to a new survey.

The poll of 1,000 car owners was conducted to mark the launch of new website Total EV.

The survey revealed:

• 51% of British motorists expect to buy an electric car within five years
• change is being driven by men, with 60% of male drivers expecting to drive an EV within five years compared to 42% of women
• 45% of motorists cite rising fuel prices as the reason for change while only 36% are driven by environmental concerns
• Northern Ireland, where charging infrastructure is more developed, has the highest proportion ready to switch to electric (77%)

However, the survey also showed that there are still barriers to ownership and that the Government and car industry has work to do to convince every motorist.

Problems cited include the cost of vehicles (27%), lack of charging infrastructure (22%), driving range (20%) and lack of knowledge (21%).