A growing demand for electric cars is on the horizon if a major new survey is to be believed.

The RAC’s Report on Motoring sought the opinion of 1,753 UK drivers and found that there are now six per cent of motorists who would consider buying an electric car, twice as many as in the same survey last year.

The move to greener alternatives is on the rise, with plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles also a consideration and 15 per cent of respondents saying they would consider those as options.

Nicholas Lyes, head of policy at the RAC, commented: “It is very encouraging there is an increased willingness among drivers to go full or part electric when they next change their vehicles.

“But, while this is positive, it is also concerning that the average driver doesn’t see themselves owning a pure electric car until 2030 – a point borne out by the fact that less than one per cent of cars on the road are currently of this type.”

He added: “We strongly urge the Government to keep the Plug-in Car Grant in place in some form until at least 2022 to continue stimulating the market. We also call on it to abolish vehicle excise duty for ultra-low emission vehicles, effectively reversing its 2017 decision to start charging plug-in hybrid vehicles car tax. This move would be popular with 30 per cent of drivers questioned for the RAC Report on Motoring who felt this should be scrapped.”

Despite the optimism, the average motorist admits that they wouldn’t consider an EV without a range of 368 miles and the majority would not consider buying one until 2030.

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