The findings of the survey of 1000 car owners revealed 27% are hesitant to buy an EV because they think ‘charging an EV at home would cost more than refuelling a petrol or diesel car’.
This is in spite of the fact that the overall cost of running an EV has been falling rapidly and is now 50% lower than the cost of fuelling a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) over the same distance.
Andersen says this calculation is based on the average petrol car driver covering 10,000 miles a year spending £1,209 on fuel, compared to just £174 that an EV driver would spend on electricity to power an EV (using a dedicated EV tariff at home) over the same distance.
Concern about the cost of recharging at home is greatest among younger car owners, with 38% of those aged 25 to 34 saying it would make them less likely to buy an EV; double the proportion (19%) of those aged 45 to 54.
The survey also found that 36% are reluctant to buy an EV because ‘home chargers might be expensive to repair if something were to go wrong’. To help address such concerns, last year, Andersen introduced a seven-year warranty covering both its EV charge points and all ancillary items.
Other primary blockers to EV ownership were ‘potential long delays in getting an electric vehicle charge point installed at my home’ (21%), concern that ‘a charge point at home might overload or damage my domestic electricity system’ (20%), and ‘my neighbours could use my electric vehicle charge point without my consent’ (10%).
‘More to be done to drive mass uptake’
“The fear of the unknown clearly remains widespread among many non-EV drivers,” said David Martell, CEO of Andersen.
“Much progress has been made in tackling misunderstandings, and we are seeing EV registrations rise steadily as a result, but there remains much to be done if we are to drive mass uptake and improve the pace of decarbonisation in private transport.
“Stakeholders across the sector must continue to do what they can to help drive positive awareness concerning EV ownership, as well as provide essential guidance and reassurance to prospective EV customers who remain unsure.”
Image credit: Andersen
