Nine in ten ‘would never return to ICE’, survey finds
The latest survey from the Fully Charged SHOW and UK energy provider OVO of existing and prospective electric vehicle drivers has found the vast majority won’t return to ICE vehicles.
The survey of more than 6,000 drivers is one of the largest to question drivers on EVs in the world, found 56% would get an EV by 2025, with two-thirds of current drivers owning the EV outright rather than by a personal or business lease.
The majority – 54% – were still very satisfied with owning an EV, and an additional 32% said they were satisfied. The level rose to 94% were they were able to charge at home, illustrating the importance of domestic charging.
Almost two-thirds said they would like to test drive multiple BEVs before making an investment, with almost a quarter wanting to do so at Fully Charged or Everything Electric events. Some 59% intended to buy a BEV from new, and 41% said they would buy a used vehicle.
Interestingly, almost all – 92% – said that the shift to BEV would make them consider a different brand of vehicle to their traditional choice. In addition, 93% of respondents were interested in improving their use of energy at home, and 90% in improving their energy storage
Dan Caesar, CEO of the Fully Charged SHOW, said about the findings: “With more than 1 million subscribers worldwide, this survey gives voice to the lived experience of electric vehicle drivers, and to those that are on the cusp of purchasing one. It also amplifies the realities of energy-savvy consumers that already own technologies like solar, batteries or heat pumps or again are looking to do so.
“This incredibly powerful information offers insights that should form the basis of any strategy to communicate with this emergent market of prosumers, as we move towards mainstream adoption of all of the above.There are two things that struck us above all when we studied the results of this survey in full.
“Firstly, that the ‘real-life’ experience of these technologies is a positive one, that goes against mainstream coverage; for example more than 9 out of 10 battery electric vehicle drivers will never return to combustion engine vehicles. And secondly, we are witnessing the rise of a consumer that is, in the absence of alternatives, getting its information from digital platforms, such as YouTube, and not from traditional platforms like press and TV. This more technologically progressive consumer is the one most likely to switch to a battery electric vehicle or to a cleaner energy source, and is, as word of mouth spreads, multiplying at a rapid rate.”
Alex Thwaites, Director of EVs at OVO added: “We’re proud to support Fully Charged LIVE and encourage more households across the UK to start their zero carbon living journey. At OVO we want to make it as easy as possible for consumers to make the switch to EVs, heat pumps and solar to cut costs and carbon. We’ve already helped thousands of people switch to greener tech and save money and hope to help millions more.”
