Upfront cost of electric cars putting customers off
The upfront cost of buying an electric vehicle is putting people off buying one, new research from Which has found.
According to a recent survey by the consumer group, more than a third (34 per cent) of potential buyers cited costs as the reason they might not buy one.
That is despite the fact that more than two-fifths of consumers are open to switching away from the internal combustion engine.
The survey comes as the UK tries to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
However, at the moment, the disparity in cost between traditional models and new electric ones is limiting adoption.
For example, Which said that the cheapest electric Mini was about £10,000 more expensive than the cheapest petrol version.
Although it is cheaper to run electric vehicles, in the above case it would take about a decade for a consumer to recoup to £10,000 difference.
Lisa Barber, Which home products and service editor, said: “Millions of people are expected to switch to electric cars over the next few years to reduce emissions, however our research shows that affordability is a significant barrier and the upfront cost of purchasing an electric vehicle is putting people off.
“We know consumers want to make more sustainable choices and are open to switching to electric vehicles, but more support is needed to ensure they can feasibly make the decision to buy an electric car.”