30% of motorists likely to go electric when next changing car

• 1 in 10 motorists state they are “very likely” to purchase a hybrid or fully electric vehicle when they next change their car; further 19.84% state they are somewhat likely
• Lack of charging facilities and doubts over effective mileage range main concerns among those unlikely to switch to a hybrid/electric vehicle.
• AA Rescue continues investment in new equipment to cope with increase in number of breakdown calls relating to electric vehicles.

Almost 1 in 3 motorists are considering purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle when they next change their car, according to recent research from AA Ireland.

In response to an AA Car Insurance survey of over 3,000 motorists, 9.39% of those polled stated they were “very likely” to consider purchasing an electric or hybrid vehicle when buying their next car. Meanwhile, a further 19.84% described themselves as “somewhat likely” to consider moving away from a petrol or diesel powered vehicle.

“In a relatively short period of time there has been significant improvements in the electric and hybrid vehicles that are being produced, namely in terms of reduced charging times, improved range, and making them more affordable to the average motorist,” John Farrell, Commercial Director at AA Ireland stated. “In terms of the future of motoring, electric vehicles will move away from being somewhat of a niche vehicle and will become an increasingly common sight on our roads. Our AA Rescue technicians are already attending to electric car breakdowns and, with these vehicles likely to become more and more popular in the coming years, we’re continuing to invest in the technology needed to attend to electric car breakdowns.”

The absence of charging facilities, first day cost and concerns about the effective range of fully electric vehicles were among the concerns expressed by those who stated they were more likely to stick with a traditional petrol or diesel powered car when making their next purchase.

54.28% of those unlikely to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle identified the absence of suitable charging facilities in Ireland currently as their primary reason they were unlikely to make a change. Meanwhile, 45.28% expressed concern over the effective mileage range of fully electric cars, while 43.16% felt that hybrid and electric vehicles are currently too expensive.

“Electric cars aren’t some passing fad and they will very much be a key part of the future of motoring in Ireland. It’s time for our government to accept this fact and facilitate the installation of a greater number of electric vehicle charging points across the country if we are to avoid being left behind while the rest of the world embraces the future,” Farrell added.

“In a short space of time we have seen a number of exciting developments when it comes to the future of motoring, including the mileage range of fully electric vehicles increasing from an average of 150km on a single charge to a current range of between 250 and 300 kilometres. In line with this we’ve seen the number of charging points in Ireland increase, although there is still scope for improvement in this area, but also we’ve seen the emergence of mobile charging solutions which help to minimise the inconvenience for electric car owners in the event of a breakdown. While electric cars, like their petrol or diesel equivalent, do break down our Rescue team are better equipped than ever to respond to such incidents and we look forward to continuing to invest in the necessary technology to respond to electric car incidents as these vehicles become increasingly prevalent on our roads.”

The survey found that men were almost 5% more likely to opt for a hybrid or electric vehicle when purchasing their next car.10.36% of men stated they were very likely to move away from a petrol or diesel vehicle, with a further 21.33% describing themselves as “somewhat likely” to do so, compared to 8.40% and 18.83% of women respectively.

Considering the next time you intend on changing your car, how likely are you to consider purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle?

Based on 3,090 responses to an AA Car Insurance survey undertaken in April 2017.

If you are unlikely to purchase a fully electric/plug in hybrid vehicle the next time you change your car, which of the following best matches your reason(s) for not doing so? (Select all that apply)