Reality check…Motorists believe Government needs extra 20 years to ban sale of petrol and diesel vehicles

New research has found that two thirds of motorists show a real lack of confidence in the UK meeting the Government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, with most drivers believing it would be 2052 by the time the country would realistically be ready for such a ban. 

Commissioned by the world’s leading range prediction specialist, Spark EV Technology, the in-depth study of a thousand targeted motorists also revealed that over half of UK motorists are concerned they don’t have charging facilities where they live, while 64 per cent state having reliable information about how much battery charge is left, would be very important when thinking about buying a new electric vehicle.  

Justin Ott, CEO and founder of Spark EV Technology, said: “If the UK is serious about banning new petrol and diesel vehicles we need politicians to step in and address the barriers holding people back from driving an EV. EVs need to be affordable and drivers need to have the confidence that they have enough range to reach their destination and that they will have access to the equipment to re-charge their vehicle when they need to.”  

This new research comes as recent media reports suggest vehicle manufacturers and government officials are in talks to push back the ban to 2035. 

“To address range and charging anxieties we need onboard range estimations to stop being a ‘Guess O Meter’ and provide the driver with accurate information about how far they can travel before they run out of electricity. We highly support the introduction of legislation which insists EVs provide accurate onboard range predictions based on real-world data to ensure they achieve their advertised range,” concludes Ott.  

Meanwhile, the willingness to adopt EVs across the UK is split, with 83 per cent of Londoners more likely to make the switch by 2030 and those in Scotland and the North East of England less inclined to move over in time for the ban.