DRIVERS in Scotland are keen on Electric Vehicles (EVs) in big numbers, with a CTEK survey by YouGov showing that a fifth of people in Scotland (20%) say their next vehicle will be a fully electric or plug-in hybrid EV.
8% of adults in Scotland say their next vehicle will most likely be a brand new EV, with 5% saying they will buy a new fully Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and 4% saying a new Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).
Fewer people in Scotland will buy a new EV than the 14% who will buy a new petrol or diesel Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle.
The used market for EVs is expected to see significant demand too, with 3% of adults in Scotland saying they will look for a used BEV and 9% to seek a used PHEV – the latter is the joint highest of any region or country. A used ICE vehicle will remain the main choice for those seeking a second hand vehicle (27%).
The third annual CTEK EV survey by YouGov found more than three quarters of people in Scotland (77%) agreeing that EV drivers have charger anxiety and 81% agreeing that there is not enough charging infrastructure.
The UK tops the chart of the five European countries surveyed for respondents agreeing there is not enough charging infrastructure for EVs. But 59% of people in Scotland people say EV motoring is the future of road travel.
More than a fifth (21%) of people in Scotland who have not yet switched to an EV said the cost of buying one is the main reason. Another 10% said concern about driving range was their main reason not to buy.
For just over half of non-EV owners in Scotland (51%) a lower purchase price would encourage them to switch. Lower running costs (35%), lower servicing costs (25%) and Government subsidies or schemes to make owning an EV more affordable (42%) were also cited.
Asked to what extent each of the following would make them more likely to purchase an EV, non-EV owners in Scotland responded as follows:
44% said installation of public charging in their neighbourhood
38% said a garage wall box
56% of workers said charging options at their workplace
52% said more chargers on major highways
45% said more chargers in the local places they visit, such as shops and leisure venues
Cecilia Routledge, CTEK’s Global Director Energy and Facilities, said: “Our annual YouGov survey shows a strong demand in Scotland from drivers to buy electric as their next vehicle – both new and used.
“The UK charging sector and national and local government need to work harder on expanding and maintaining the charging infrastructure to reduce the frequency of broken chargers and queueing.
“If EV ownership expands in line with our survey results there must be many more additional opportunities to charge at destinations, workplaces, car parks and on highways.”
The survey questioned more than 4,000 people in the UK, including 341 living in Scotland, and also found that queues to charge and broken charge points are blighting EV driving.
Half of UK EV drivers (50%) now encounter broken public chargers at least one in four times when they arrive hoping to charge. Some 6% said charge points are always broken.
More than half (52%) of UK EV drivers have to wait to use a public charger at least one in four times; 4% say it is now every time and only 8% never have to queue.
