94% of BEV owners would never go back to ICE

Some 93.71% of current battery-electric vehicle (BEV) owners would never switch back to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, according to a wide ranging survey by Fully Charged.

According to 8,867 BEV owners, the vast majority would keep a BEV rather than return to an ICE, and the figure rises to 95.82% for Tesla drivers.

In addition, more than 9 out of 10 said they were also satisfied with their vehicle. Almost all (99%) said they would also recommend a BEV to other people.

Countering some of the negative media narrative about BEVs, in addition some 95% of owners said that the portrayal of owning an electric vehicle was not a fair reflection of their own lived experience of owning one.

In the UK, this figure was as high as 95.73%.

Owners also said that national governments weren’t doing enough to accelerate the switch, with 92% wanting more to be done, rising to 95.37% in the UK.

Most owners purchased their BEV privately, with less than a fifth (18.23%) buying their car through their company, illustrating the significant headroom for growth in this area, despite EV fleets being a significant proportion of purchases in monthly statistics of new registrations.

The majority of owners bought their car in either 2023 or 2022.

In addition, the survey highlighted the need to accelerate public charging infrastructure, with 91.58% of owners saying that they have an ability to charge their BEVs at home.

In a challenge to traditional OEMs, 58.8% of owners also said that switching to a BEV had meant that they had moved away from a brand that they had historically preferred. But it was only 54.6% who said that the new brand was now a preference, illustrating the potential for manufacturers to win back customers with new EV lines.

Tesla was top of those who had shifted, at just under a third, followed by KIA on 9.1%. Most owners (77%) only had one BEV too.

The move to electric had also lead to domestic technology investment, with 86.34% stating they would be more likely to purchase solar, battery, and electric heating and cooling products as a result of the switch.

Dan Caesar, CEO of the Fully Charged Show, said about the findings:

“We’ve been witness to a surge in anti-EV misinformation over the last 18 months, nevertheless battery electric vehicle sales globally continue to grow, and when those that purchase them experience them for themselves, the vast majority are very unlikely to return to combustion-powered vehicles.

“While the economics, politics and misinformation in some regions, have undoubtedly given some consumers pause for thought, the fact remains that once people try and then buy BEVs, they almost unanimously believe them to be better than what has come before. This certainty, and the arrival at last of more affordable new and used battery electric vehicles, ensures that this sector is only set to grow and grow.”

Image from Shutterstock

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