Cost remains the biggest barrier to switching to an EV, according to the 2024 Europcar Mobility Group UK EV barometer.
Despite drivers being more confident in their knowledge and in the charging infrastructure, the cost of purchasing and maintaining an EV is a growing concern among private motorists.
Quarterly averages from the barometer reveal costs are a barrier for more drivers today than 12 months ago, while charging infrastructure, knowledge about EV ownership and vehicle models and availability have each decreased as concerns in the past 12 months.
In Q1 2024 costs held back 62.6% of would-be EV drivers. By Q4 the figure had grown to 65.2%. Charging infrastructure remains a significant barrier but fell slightly from the Q1 at 49.6% to 46.7% in Q4.
Europcar found that driver confidence appears to be steadily increasing, cited as a barrier by 22.7% in Q1 and 20.3% by Q4 2024. Likewise, the choice and availability of EV models has become a slightly less significant barrier, falling from 14.4% in Q1 to 13.2% in Q4.
Sarah Clarke, consumer marketing manager at Europcar, says: “Although the purchase price of EVs is falling more in line with that of petrol and diesel equivalents, it is still high enough to hold back many drivers from making the switch to greener motoring.”
