A consumer survey has shown that half of all drivers know someone who owns an EV or own one themselves and 55% feel positive about them.
Polling of 4,000 people was carried out by YouGov and analysed by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Persuasion UK during the government’s ongoing consultation with the automotive industry on the phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars.
The survey found that the EV debate amongst consumers is not a “culture war issue”, rather that those who are less enthusiastic about EVs cite practical concerns. According to the research bodies, this suggests policies addressing cost and convenience would effectively increase EV uptake.
‘Conservative to Labour’ switchers consistently show relatively high levels of baseline support for the shift to EVs, with 64% positive towards them. The only group of voters who consistently hold anti-EV views tend to be those who switched from Conservative to Reform. While in power, the Conservatives legislated and then backtracked on a complete ban of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
The researchers also carried out randomised message testing of nearly 6,500 people, which found that overarching messages emphasising climate, energy independence and the already increasing uptake of EVs attracted support from consumers.
The survey shows that drivers still believe there is insufficient charging infrastructure, the upfront costs are too high and an EV is less ‘practical’. This is despite the fact that public and destination EV charging is rapidly reaching even the most remote areas and, although the vehicle itself is expensive, running an EV is provably cheaper than an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.
Sam Alvis, IPPR associate director for environment, energy security and nature, said: “We know the public wants it to be cheaper and easier to get around, and that people see EVs as a positive step they can take towards energy security. Government needs to help them in taking that step by sorting out off-putting problems with charging, and making it easier for a wider range of people to buy an EV.”
Policy changes that the IPPR suggests the government considers as part of its consultation include lowering the VAT on chargers from 20% to 5%, the lower rate levied on drivers able to charge at home, as part of a drive to make public charging more affordable. The ‘pavement tax’ that sees drivers without access to at-home charging pay higher rates has been consistently criticised by the EV charging industry.
It also suggests a social leasing scheme for low income drivers who need to travel long distances and regulation that would ensure all public chargers are compatible with the variety of different charging apps available.
The government’s Public Charge Point Regulations, which have been rolled out since November 2024, aim to implement payment roaming, although this will not be enforced until November 2025. Roaming is the ability to pay to charge an EV across multiple charge point networks using a single app or RFID card—equivalent to the fuel card for petrol and diesel vehicles.
Making all chargers compliant with multiple ways of paying could be an alternative solution with a similar result.