Greater than half (54%) of UK automotive consumers are contemplating an electrical car as their subsequent automotive, in accordance with new knowledge from EY’s newest Mobility Client Index.

This is a rise from 49% final yr and better than the 41% of potential consumers contemplating an Inner Combustion Engine (ICE) car.

Nonetheless, the UK’s year-on-year development in desire towards EVs outpaces its uptick in total car-buying intent (which has grown from 44% to 45%), additional emphasising the rising dominance of EVs throughout UK shopper demand.

UK EV car-buying intent is broadly in step with the typical throughout different main auto markets (55%).

The UK’s development in EV shopping for intent was pushed by will increase in reputation for plug-in hybrid electrical autos (PHEVs) and hybrids, with each seeing a rise in shopping for intent of three share factors in 2023.

Shopping for intent for Battery Electrical Autos (BEVs) in the meantime remained unchanged from 2022, with 19% of respondents saying they’re probably to purchase one.

Comparatively, 10% mentioned they’re more likely to go for a PHEV, whereas 25% mentioned they’re anticipating to buy a hybrid.

Excessive gas costs, rising environmental issues, and penalties on Inner Combustion Engine (ICE) autos emerged as the important thing motivators for potential EV consumers.

The 41% of UK respondents indicating their intent to purchase an ICE car was down marginally from 42% in 2022, and considerably down on 2021’s determine of fifty%. The UK’s 2023 determine nevertheless stays barely above ICE car-buying intent within the different international locations featured within the survey (38%), which is down from 41% in 2022.

Total car-buying intent fell from 45% in 2022 to 44% in 2023 throughout the twenty international locations included within the survey.

The survey collects views from 15,000 respondents throughout 20 of the automotive sector’s high nations.

David Borland, EY UK & Eire automotive chief, mentioned: “The UK auto business continues to reveal resilience to the numerous headwinds it has confronted in recent times, together with the pandemic, the struggle in Ukraine, provide chain disruption, unstable vitality costs and price of residing challenges.

“Demand continues to show sturdy restoration, with Might 2023 being the tenth consecutive month of development for passenger automotive gross sales.

“This was backed up by the survey findings, with a rise within the variety of shoppers preferring a private automotive versus automotive sharing, which is a development from the pandemic that continues to stay.

“The survey additionally highlights the continued demand from shoppers for various powertrain applied sciences that aren’t utterly reliant on public charging infrastructure.”

Value and comfort prioritised by shoppers 

Whereas EV shopping for intent within the UK has proven encouraging indicators of development within the final yr in accordance with EY’s newest Mobility Client Index, the report additionally highlights a number of key the explanation why some shoppers are nonetheless being deterred from making the swap.

Of these to specific issues round EVs, 37% mentioned they had been deterred by a scarcity of charging stations at present in place.

The second-most vital issue dissuading UK respondents from making the EV transition was the substantial upfront price of EVs, with 36% deeming price a key concern, whereas restricted EV vary (27%), and costly charging/operating prices (26%) had been additionally cited.

Sixty-four per cent of respondents indicated that 200-300 miles can be a suitable driving vary for an EV.

Forty-nine per cent, in the meantime, had been drawn to mid-range EVs, and 29% indicated their desire for premium EVs, regardless of the numerous proportion of these delay from shopping for an EV attributable to substantial upfront prices.

With a specific concentrate on public chargers, respondents once more positioned comfort and price amongst their high priorities.

Fifty-one per cent of respondents recognized difficulties finding chargers as a high problem, whereas 47% mentioned the costly price of charging was a number one drawback. 

Forty per cent additionally displayed a insecurity within the reliability of public chargers, citing non-functional chargers as a number one concern.

The significance of charging infrastructure at non-public houses, at workplaces and on streets close to houses is very vital, with 89% of UK survey respondents saying they would like to cost their EVs at certainly one of these areas.

Affordability provisions could must be put in place to speed up the UK’s EV transition, with 54% of these expressing issues about at-home chargers stating excessive electrical energy payments had been a serious concern, whereas 44% mentioned they had been deterred by excessive set up prices.

Regardless of the continuing challenges going through EV infrastructure, shopper confidence continues to extend, with 90% of UK EV homeowners at present out there for a car saying they might purchase one other EV, up from 87% in 2022.

Maria Bengtsson, electrical car lead at EY UK, mentioned: “EV shopping for intent continues to extend within the UK, as shoppers place a better concentrate on sustainability and attitudes in the direction of EVs enhance.

“These findings from our newest Mobility Client Index are additionally backed up by the current development in EV gross sales within the UK, with Battery Electrical Automobile (BEV) gross sales up 60% year-on-year in Might.

“Nonetheless, charging evidently stays a big concern for potential EV consumers, each in relation to availability and price.

“Whereas it’s clear that the variety of chargers throughout the UK might want to improve considerably, it’s also crucial to make sure that charging capability is offered the place EV drivers want it.

“This, in flip, isn’t solely in regards to the bodily chargers being in the best locations, however it’s also about making certain details about the place they’re situated, their availability, and particulars of required fee strategies, are all simply and rapidly accessible to EV drivers.

“With shoppers nonetheless experiencing a scarcity of interoperability, the shopper expertise should even be improved and simplified if we’re to see sustained, vital development in EV confidence amongst shoppers to match the UK Authorities’s decarbonisation goals.”