We’re delighted to publish the latest feature from our ‘Fossil fuels v Electric’ Survey.

After receiving a total of 14,314 submissions up to and including 7th August 2024, we thought it pertinent to highlight the key data & findings.

Following a lot of unsubstantiated and clearly biased news articles over the last 12-24 months, Electric Road wanted to get a real snapshot of current opinions on the electric car & wider UK car market from both existing & non-EV owners. This feature focuses on the opinions of non-EV owners.

Within the survey, respondents have the opportunity to provide further opinion on the fossil fuels v electric debate and we have included some of their feedback throughout the feature.

User profile

The respondent base is looking more representative of UK drivers albeit there is still a disproportionate amount of BEV drivers, in particular.

Motivating factors to purchasing an EV (multiple answer)

Well there’s a majority of respondents who simply don’t want to entertain the idea of driving an EV. This is no surprise and this opinion will be held by many for years to come.

For those that would consider an EV, increased range and a better charging infrastructure would possibly persuade many respondents to buy their first EV (29%). Whether you personally think range isn’t an issue, it still is for many. Furthermore, having a tank full of fuel and putting it into your car is extremely convenient.

Cost of purchase (28.3%) still outweighs the potential cost savings of driving an EV (19.5%). Clearly, this needs to change and with the introduction of more, cheaper EVs, we should see these two factors change overtime.

Great to see nearly 9% of respondents are motivated by the environmental impact of owning an EV!

‘Until I can top-up in 5 minutes at any fuel station and drive for hours with full aircon or heating I’m not interested.’

‘Unless electric vehicles become as convenient as petrol and diesel vehicles and the infrastructure improves, electric vehicles will never be an option for many.’

‘One concern missed in the survey is charging time. Any longer then 10 minutes is not acceptable.’

‘I feel the green brigade are over stating the benefits of electric cars, and the upfront costs are understated. Also, the ability to charge vehicles has not been thought through. The grid won’t be able to cope and how are people who live in multi-storey flats supposed to charge cars. No, too many unanswered questions.’

‘I am concerned about the future for my grandchildren, would love to do my bit by using fuel other than petrol/diesel, but no way could I ever afford the new fuels or an electric vehicle.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!

Concerns or barriers to buying an EV (multiple answer)

Similar to the previous question, limited driving range, high upfront costs & concerns about public charging were the most popular answers taking 66.3%, 65.9% & 65.6% of all responses, respectively. This is followed closely by uncertainty about battery life with 19% of all answers. Only 2% of responses indicated ‘no concerns or barriers’.

‘It’s hard to justify the upfront cost of an EV when I have a decently reliable 12 year old car that was fully paid off long ago. So many comparisons are against the cost of an equivalent new petrol car and I agree the numbers make sense there. Pay more upfront, save on fuel & maintenance, but we’re talking an upfront cost of £30 grand vs £0 if I keep my current car alive.’

‘I live in a sixth-floor flat, how exactly am I supposed to charge an EV? Because without home charging they are way too expensive to run.’

‘Range and charge time are major issues. I frequently do 4-hour plus drives and current charge time would add up to 2 hours extra to the journey, providing you can find a working charge point.’

‘I use vehicles to tow up to 3.5 tonnes. No electric commercial vehicle or 4 x 4 SUV are capable of pulling this weight over long distances.’

‘It’s clear EVs are the future but if the roll-out is not to stall we need massive investments in and standardisation of rapid charging on motorways and A-roads. I fear there is a risk that because of the failure of the government to back large scale charging infrastructure, the anti-EV press will succeed in slowing the transition by playing on peoples fears that they will be unable to charge on longer journeys. I have experienced this when hiring EVs (other than Tesla) and I can only see this getting worse as BEVs continue to ramp up.’

‘Adoption of EVs would improve if the media stopped scare mongering and telling blatant lies about fires and breaking multi-storey car parks etc.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!

How concerned are you about the environmental impact of ICE cars?

(1 being not concerned at all and 5 being very concerned)

Nearly 90% of respondents either don’t care or are indifferent to the environmental impact of ICE cars. We believe that most people, rightly or wrongly, have more pressing concerns such as the cost of living to (possibly) have the headspace to think purposely about the environment, sad as that is.

‘Electric vehicles are far from green, changing vehicles regularly is the least green thing and bad for the environment.’

‘Electric vehicles feel like a con to me. I believe that the production on electric cars and installing the infrastructure is far less green than we are led to believe. Factor in scrapping perfectly good cars and electric doesn’t make sense. Alternative fuels that can be used in existing cars appears to make far more sense.’

‘My perception of EVs is the harm to the environment in production and running outweighs the need, better trying to find synthetic fuels and use ICE vehicles.’

‘Investment should be made in bio fuels and hydrogen instead of being forced down the EV route which are by no means green like they are portrayed.’

‘Synthetic fuels have the potential to be truly net zero which batteries can never be. They can be used in existing older vehicles which reduces impact even further. We should be pushing for synthetic fuel development instead.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!

Perception of overall reliability of EVs v ICE cars

Given the majority of respondents are ICE owners you’d expect them to favour the ICE car for reliability because that’s what they know. Hence 72.7% consider EVs to be ‘much less reliable and durable’ or ‘somewhat less reliable and durable’ than their current cars. Also, we don’t know what experience they have of EVs.

Interestingly, only 6.6% of respondents felt EVs were either ‘somewhat more reliable and durable’ or ‘much more reliable and durable’ yet 16.3% of all respondents currently own an EV!

‘Survey assumes I will replace my existing car. I expect to keep my existing car for a lifespan of at least 20 years. The biggest risk to this approach is of course the availability of petrol beyond 2040 when it is quite possible fuel demand will have reduced to a level that results in all/most fuel refineries being shut down permanently.’

‘My husband bought a new electric car and it has been nothing but trouble. Three new batteries, constant breakdowns and unable to complete a journey to Wales to visit relatives without at least a 45-minute stop to recharge. I’m sticking to my 12-year old Fiesta. Totally reliable. Wouldn’t have an electric car if you paid me!’

‘I see too much emphasis on unusable performance by EV manufacturers. The drive to get me to buy an EV ignores the fact that my current vehicles are not due for replacement.’

‘EVs are an answer to a problem that doesn’t exist. The ICE vehicle is the result of nearly 140 years of development and to throw it away in a decade is folly.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!

What information about EVs do you believe to be true? (multiple answer)

Whatever you think of the below graph, we can only recognise what others are thinking right now. People choose a car for numerous reasons, both rationally & emotionally. So for the next 11 years ahead of the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol & diesel cars, the consumer has more choice than ever before (or ever will).

‘There is not enough lithium and other elements in the world to give everyone a milk float. It limits the freedom of movement for people and it is more destructive to the environment than current ICEs. Hydrogen offers a better range, reduced filling up time and is environmentally more friendly than a battery.’

‘Electric cars will ultimately take away your freedom to travel, check the terms and conditions in the software updates and you’ll probably see that geo fencing and geo timing has been added. This will eventually restrict where and when you can use the car.’

‘I am most concerned about the propensity of electric cars to self combust and burst into flames, leading to serious dangers and high insurance costs.’

‘What happens to expired batteries?’

‘We need totally honest answers about the choice of electric vehicles. Remember, we were all told to buy a diesel engine, then we were told that’s not good for our health. The record of truth from car manufacturers and governments is very poor, they need to regain our trust.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!

What ‘fuel type’ do you think will be the predominant choice for UK drivers in 2050?

Well, well, well…!

‘Taking into consideration the impact of mining lithium & use of electricity, hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly!!’

‘Quite simply, the UK, like other countries, are not ready to adopt electric. Hydrogen is a cleaner, more efficient alternative.’

‘I don’t think electric is the way, I believe that a synthetic fuel is the way to go.’

‘LPG is green but being taken away from drivers.’

‘Ammonia is the solution, I have an ammonia engine in my workshop, easy to fix, easy to recycle or repair and the only byproducts are water and fertiliser.’

‘I think we’ll be using carbon neutral and synthetic fuels, hydrogen & battery electric in a variety of combinations, depending on our needs and what works where we live.’

Fossil fuels v Electric – Have your say NOW!