In England, the general public lacks knowledge about electric vehicles

While a massive influx of new models is expected from this year, a survey conducted in the United Kingdom points to a lack of information that could hinder the take-off of electric mobility. According to the results of this study conducted in the United Kingdom by two firms - Savanta and Encore Digital Media - 53% of respondents do not know that an electric car can be recharged from a simple household socket, while 42% believe that infrastructure and charging time remain a problem. Another striking fact: 60% of respondents do not know that electric cars are equipped with brake energy recovery devices. Systems that have been integrated for a long time on most models and that reduce anxiety related to autonomy.

Under-25s more likely to be electric

In terms of acceptance, it is the over-55s who are most reluctant to switch to electricity. More than half of them consider the electric car as an "experimental" vehicle, while 70% consider the technology "unproven". On the other hand, people under 25 are more open, regularly citing environmental concerns as an important source of motivation for a switch to electricity.

The image of an "expensive" car

Overall, cost remains a major issue for a large proportion of respondents, with 63% citing reduced recurrent expenditure as a major motivation to proceed with the procurement process. At the time of purchase, a majority of respondents continue to consider the electric car as "expensive" while 20% are not aware of the subsidies put in place. In terms of cost, the average respondent indicates that they are willing to spend £14,000, much less than the average price of an electric car, which is around £32,000 in the UK. In the end, only 11% of respondents say they are willing to pay more than £35,000 for an electric car.

An essential pedagogy

More than promoting the existing offer, it is also and above all a question of pedagogy. 18% of respondents acknowledged that they knew "very little" about electric cars, while 59% indicated that they wanted to learn more about the technology. These results echo those observed by Avere-France and Mobivia in a study published last September. Carried out as part of the European Sustainable Mobility Week, it highlighted certain persistent obstacles such as the purchase price or the lack of charging infrastructure.