With the UK government set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, more drivers may be thinking about making the switch to electric when choosing a new car. But with the deadline a few years away, how many are making the switch now?
To discover real insights into what car leasers in the UK are looking for in their next car, new research has been undertaken by car leasing comparison site Moneyshake. Analysing their enquiry data, they’ve revealed that drivers are turning to electric and hybrid alternatives way ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Tesla Model 3
Electric and Hybrid Fuel Types are Increasing in Popularity
Petrol cars are still the most popular choice of car to lease, making up 65% of enquiries in the last year, however, almost a third of enquiries in the last year were for electric or hybrid cars. The number of enquiries into these energy efficient cars also saw a 33% increase compared to the previous year, showing that more drivers are looking to make the switch.
Fully electric cars are the second most popular fuel type to lease, making up 17% of enquiries in the last year, as they also saw a 25% increase in the number of enquiries compared to the previous year. The fuel type which saw the biggest uplift in interest year on year are petrol/electric hybrid fuelled cars which have seen a massive 127% increase in enquiries.
The data also reveals that enquires for diesel cars have dropped, seeing a massive 62% decrease in enquiries year on year. They now make up just 5% of all enquiries made in the last year.
Eben Lovatt, CEO of the car leasing comparison site Moneyshake commented that “fully electric vehicles aren’t yet appealing to everyone; range, costs and charging points can still be a barrier for some despite significant, recent improvements. Hybrid vehicles offer a go-between, with vehicles offering much-improved fuel efficiency over petrol or diesel equivalents but without the high purchase costs of full EVs.”
Kia is the Most Popular Car Manufacturer to Lease in Electric and Hybrid Models
Analysing all enquires for electric and hybrid cars across the last two years, the most popular manufacturer is Kia making up one in six of all enquiries, followed closely by Hyundai with 12% and Toyota with 11%.
The 10 most popular electric/hybrid car manufacturers to lease are:
- Kia – 15.4%
- Hyundai – 11.7%
- Toyota – 10.6%
- Tesla – 10.4%
- Volkswagen – 7.9%
- MG Motor UK – 4.4%
- Mercedes Benz – 4.0%
- Nissan – 3.8%
- Lexus – 3.7%
- Audi – 2.8%
Delving deeper into the specific cars people are looking to lease, the most enquired-about electric or hybrid car is the fully electric Tesla Model 3 with 6.4%. This is followed by the fully electric Volkswagen ID.3 with 4.5% and the Petrol/Electric Hybrid fuelled Kia Sportage with 3.9%.
The 10 most popular electric/hybrid cars to lease are:
- Tesla Model 3 Electric – 6.4%
- Volkswagen ID.3 Electric – 4.5%
- Kia Sportage Petrol/Electric Hybrid – 3.9%
- Kia Niro Petrol/Electric Hybrid – 3.8%
- Tesla Model Y Electric – 3.8%
- Kia E-Niro Electric – 3.6%
- Nissan Leaf Electric – 3.4%
- MG Motor UK ZS Electric – 2.9%
- Hyundai Tucson Petrol/Electric Hybrid – 2.8%
- Toyota C-HR Petrol/Electric Hybrid – 2.8%
