Skip to main content

Climate fears driving EV buyers, says Geotab

Reducing their environmental impact is as likely to persuade UK consumers to buy an electric vehicle (EV) as saving money, according to a new survey. Connected vehicle company Geotab surveyed 3,001 consumers on factors that appeal to them in an EV. Four out of 10 respondents are motivated by reducing their impact on the environment - compared to 45% for lowering running costs and 37% for lowering tax costs. Regional findings showed climate was a priority for nearly half the participants from the So
October 15, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Reducing their environmental impact is as likely to persuade UK consumers to buy an electric vehicle (EV) as saving money, according to a new survey.

Connected vehicle company Geotab surveyed 3,001 consumers on factors that appeal to them in an EV. Four out of 10 respondents are motivated by reducing their impact on the environment - compared to 45% for lowering running costs and 37% for lowering tax costs.  

Regional findings showed climate was a priority for nearly half the participants from the South West of England and 45% of those living in North West and South East. At the bottom of the ranking, climate was selected by 37% of respondents from London and the East of England.

The research also suggests a surge in sales demand, with 60% of those planning a car purchase expecting their next vehicle to be hybrid or fully electric.

However, four out of 10 participants are concerned about range anxiety and nearly a third worry about where they would charge their vehicle.

Despite this, 97% of respondents have daily round-trip commutes of under 100 miles which - according to Geotab - is below the average 224-mile range of 3883 Jaguar I-Pace, 838 Nissan Leaf, 2453 Renault Zoe, 994 Volkswagen e-Golf and 8534 Tesla Model X.

Edward Kulperger, Geotab vice president Europe, says: “This data shows not only that improvements to infrastructure are vital to encourage EV adoption and that the industry needs to do more to educate consumers about how far the technology has come, but that the British public are primed to buy into electrification.”

Related Content

  • December 11, 2020
    Gridserve unveils 'mass charging' EV forecourt
    Company says it can charge 36 EVs at once, adding 200 miles of range in 20 minutes
  • November 27, 2018
    UK readiness for AVs depends on gender, age and location, says Fujitsu
    The UK’s readiness to use a ride from a driverless car depends on gender, age and where you live, says a new report from Fujitsu. In a study of 2,000 members of the British public and 600 senior business decision makers, Fujitsu has discovered that transport is second only to education as the sector people are most keen to see transformed by technology. Despite this, there remains some ‘discomfort’ surrounding autonomous vehicles (AV). Less than a third of respondents would be happy to be picked up by a
  • June 5, 2018
    A third of Brits willing to pay more to purchase electric cars
    Over a third of the British public would be willing to pay more for a fully electric car than a petrol or diesel vehicle, said Baringa Partners. However, the business consultancy’s latest report also highlighted 35% of respondents think these vehicles are worse value for money. Called Is the UK ready for electric cars?, the document revealed 68% of respondents are willing to pay more for an electric car for its environmental benefits. Meanwhile, nearly half based their decision on the belief that electri
  • November 17, 2016
    Safety fears over driverless and electric cars make majority of UK drivers 'cautious'
    The majority of people in the UK has reservations about new driving concepts such as driverless and electric cars, but believes the popularity of such technologies will surge in the future, according to a new survey carried out by industrial connectors and components distributor Northern Connectors. The survey revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents cited safety issues, such as the driver not being in full control of their vehicle, as a main disadvantage of driverless cars. Almost half are worried