The secret life of EVs – petrol drivers have ‘no idea’ what owning an EV is really like

The polling follows the launch of Electric Vehicles UK, a new body will tackle the “clear disconnect” between some perceptions of electric motoring and the “lived experience”. [2] These polling results lay bare the scale of the problem.

Around 4 in 5 (78%) petrol car drivers think EV drivers have to use public chargers at least once a week, but less than 1 in 5 (18%) EV drivers report having to do so. In fact, almost three quarters (73%) use them just once a month or less.

More than 5 in 10 (54%) petrol car drivers think EV drivers run out of charge at least once a year but, in reality, more than 8 in 10 (82%) of EV drivers report never running out of charge.

Nine in ten (92%) EV drivers polled by YouGov for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) reported that they can charge their vehicles at home whereas only 4% of petrol car drivers correctly thought this proportion, the vast majority, can charge at home.

Only a third (32%) of petrol car drivers think an EV is cheaper to operate over its lifetime, versus over half (53%) who think it’s more expensive.

Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “When it comes to EV ownership, this polling reveals a huge gap between perception and reality. It appears many petrol car drivers simply have no idea how their EV counterparts actually charge their vehicles, and assume EV drivers spend a lot more time visiting charge points than is in fact the case. They also massively underestimate the proportion of EV drivers who can charge their vehicles at home, which allow them to power their cars for as little as 2p a mile.

“The transition to EVs is largely going to plan with those who can power up at home leading the charge, but as the number of public chargers ramps up, those who can’t are seeing more and more options.

“The previous Government’s Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate policy is working with competition between manufacturers driving down the upfront cost of new EVs and driving up sales [3], but crucially it will also build up a pool of second-hand EVs, helping ordinary families buying a used car, as most people do, to make the switch to cheaper motoring, avoiding the ‘petrol premium’.”

ECIU analysis has shown that petrol car drivers are paying a £700 ‘petrol premium’ over driving an EV because of high fuelling costs compared charging an EV, even when higher new EV sticker prices are taken into account [4].

Prices of many secondhand electric vehicles now similar to those for petrol equivalents, according to Autotrader. [5]

Notes to editors:

1. Polling of 1,000 Non-Electric Vehicle (EV) Drivers (described above as ‘petrol car drivers’) in the UK​ and 1,000 Electric Vehicle (EV) Drivers in the UK conducted by YouGov from 4th to 15th April 2024.
2. New body set up to combat ‘misinformation’ on electric cars: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/london-society-of-motor-manufacturers-and-traders-yougov-b2611016.html
3. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/smmt-figures-show-evs-hitting-22-6-market-share-comment (-> eciu.us8.list-manage.com)
4. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/budget-analysis-fuel-duty-freeze-leaves-700-petrol-premium-over-driving-an-ev (-> eciu.us8.list-manage.com)
5. https://www.ft.com/content/1c0e4528-92c9-4f56-adc9-d7420ae20b67 (-> eciu.us8.list-manage.com)

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: +44 (0)7894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net