Half of those planning to either buy or lease a new car within the next two years would consider an electric or hybrid, according to a new survey.
The study from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), which surveyed 2,000 car owners in the UK, found that the demand for alternatively-fuelled vehicles is continuing to rise.
Better batteries and the increasing number of charging points available means that buyers are no longer put off by range anxiety, while the £5,000 government grant is keeping prices reasonable.
With the increasing number of electric and hybrid vehicles available on the market, there are more models to appeal to a wider range of different buyers than ever before.
IMI chief executive Steve Nash said: “We have always expected demand for electric and hybrid vehicles to increase gradually over time as the cars become more sophisticated and the public become aware of their quality.
“The level of demand shown in this survey is astonishing and requires a response from Government. We need a licence to practise for technicians to reassure the public and to protect the employers who invest in the skills required to take care of the next generation of vehicles and their owners.”
Earlier this year, a survey of Nissan LEAF electric car owners revealed that 64 per cent said they’d never buy a conventionally-fuelled petrol or diesel vehicle again.
Nissan claimed that its research showed the impact that electric cars are having with drivers, and highlighted both the benefits of going all-electric and a shift in attitude on behalf of drivers.
James Wright, Nissan GB’s managing director, said: “Electric car ownership was a big step for motorists to take when we launched the LEAF in 2011 but we are now seeing that owners who were bold enough to take that step are reaping the benefits.
“The issues that the naysayers said would hinder ownership have not materialised and, in fact, the feeling from LEAF owners is that they would never go back to a traditional combustion engine.”
