Electric cars 'will overtake all other fuel types in the coming years' as drivers urged to 'dump the pump'

The Fully Charged Show survey found that 92.9 per cent of drivers think national governments are not doing enough to support the transition to cleaner vehicles.

The country with the highest percentage of people frustrated with their government for inaction is the United Kingdom, where there are very few formal incentives on offer to drivers looking to make the switch.

Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that battery electric vehicles now have a market share of 17.6 per cent, boosted by 26,031 new registrations of BEVs in May 2024 alone.

The survey, which received almost 9,000 responses globally in 48 hours, found that 90 per cent have the capability to charge their vehicles at home, rather than solely relying on the public charging network.

According to research from the Zapmap database, there are 62,500 public electric vehicle chargers around the UK, with the number continuing to grow every month.

Experts forecast that installations of new chargers will explode in the coming years, with a Government target of 300,000 by the end of the decade, while the 100,000th installation should take place next summer.

Dan Caesar, CEO of the Fully Charged Show Ltd, spoke about the impact of anti-EV sentiment over the last 18 months, and said that despite criticism, global EV sales continue to grow.

He also highlighted that motorists who make the switch to an electric car are "very unlikely" to return to traditional petrol and diesel vehicles.

Caesar added: "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."

While there are now more than 100 electric models on the UK market, the survey found that drivers have a very positive opinion of Tesla, Kia and Hyundai, while Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford are not seen as favourably.

It also revealed that drivers are not concerned about buying an electric vehicle manufactured in China, despite hefty tariffs applied by the European Union and United States government in recent months.

Brands like BYD, Geely and SAIC have all been slapped with large tariffs on goods that they import into the European Union, while the US has imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs.

Caesar concluded, saying: "Having covered electric cars for 14 years on YouTube, and for six years of events with 100,000+ test drives, our understanding of the technologies and their uptake, gives us complete confidence that battery electric vehicles will overtake all other fuel types in the coming years.”

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Britons fear Labour will launch new car tax changes, more 20mph zones and 'Big Brother' cameras on roads
  
• Driving law changes set to have huge impact on Britons - Car tax, fuel duty, Clean Air Zones and more
• Cars getting heavier with more SUVs and electric vehicles on the road prompt fears parking costs may spike

There are more than 1.1 million electric vehicles on the road across the UK, with projections showing that millions more could be seen on streets within years.