Surge in support for electric vehicles

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 09:11
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LeasePlan, together with leading global research firm Ipsos, today released the Electric Vehicles and Sustainability section of its annual Mobility Monitor. This is an international survey of over 4,000 people in 16 different countries into the big issues facing drivers and the automotive industry in 2019.

The key findings of the EV and Sustainability edition of this year’s Mobility Monitor are:

  • A surge in positive attitude towards electric driving, with 61% (58% UK) of respondents indicating that they view zero-emission electric driving favourably. Nearly half of all surveyed (47% UK) said that their opinion towards electric driving has favourably improved over the past three years
  • An increasing amount of respondents declared their intent to lease an electric vehicle. Among those planning on leasing a car in the next 5 years, two in five (40%) say they will choose an electric vehicle (30% UK)
  • The benefits of electric driving are increasingly clear: EVs contribute to fighting climate change through lower CO2 emissions (according to 60% (70% UK) of those planning to go electric in the next five years); help improve air quality in towns and cities through lower NOX emissions (43% / 48% UK); and have an overall lower running cost (60% / 71% UK)

EV infrastructure urgently needed for the future

 While the majority of people surveyed view electric vehicles favourably, practical concerns surrounding infrastructure present an active barrier to entry. Specifically:

  • 51% (64% UK) of those planning to buy a car in the next 5 years cited insufficient charging infrastructure as preventing them from choosing EV, while limited driving range, or so called “range anxiety”, was the reason another 45% (62% UK) said they would not go electric
  • In Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, more than 6 in every 10 respondents who plan to buy/lease a car in the next 5 years said a lack of electric charging stations would stop them from making the switch to electric driving
  • 80% (85% UK) of those who said they would not go electric, state that insufficient charging possibilities in public areas are a concern for them, yet less than half view charging at work as an area of concern (49% UK)

Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan, said:

“Our 2019 Mobility Monitor shows that public demand for zero-emission mobility far outpaces currently available EV infrastructure. We need to fix this now. The European Commission, together with national governments and local authorities, must step up and act on citizen demand for zero-emission mobility by investing in a comprehensive, pan-European charging infrastructure. Only through collective, decisive and timely action will we be able to win the fight against climate change, and improve air quality in our towns and cities.”

The first edition of this year’s Mobility Monitor, which focuses on EVs and Sustainability, can be downloaded here:

https://www.leaseplan.com/corporate/news-and-media/newsroom

1 Comments

  1. Thanks for this very interesting article! These are important numbers to reflect on: the potential of sustainability and electric mobility is growing day after day. Hopefully we will realize a sustainable future!