Recent Fuel Scarcity In The UK Made 35% Of Brits More Likely To Buy Electric Car

Recent fuel shortages in late September and early October in the UK made 35% of Brits more likely to go electric.

A survey by VW Financial Services also shows young drivers were more likely to panic buy fuel than older motorists.

32 percent of drivers questioned says they are likely to buy a second-hand electric vehicle.

Up to 90 per cent of all filling stations in the United Kingdom were dry and out of supply from late September to early October of this year as thousands of Brits raced to fill up their vehicles, amid shortage of HGV drivers.

The panic buy across the country was sparked after a leaked reports suggest that the lorry driver shortage could impact its ability to keep up with fuel deliveries.

Following the recent fuel shortages, Volkswagen Financial Services carried out a research and the figures shows that a third of UK motorists are more likely to buy an electric vehicle (EV).

Out of the 2,000 UK drivers questioned by Volkswagen Financial Services, 35 percent of them said they would be more likely to go electric, following the recent fuel shortage.

Similarly, 32 percent of drivers questioned by Volkswagen Financial Services says they are likely to buy a second-hand electric vehicle when the time comes to change their car.

Volkswagen Financial Services’ study also found out that 30 percent of 18-24 year olds and 31 percent of 25-34 year olds admitted to panic-buying fuel.

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The Volkswagen Financial Services survey also shows that seven percent of 55-64 year olds and three percent of 65-74 year olds admitted to panic-buying fuel.

“Electric vehicles have never been more popular than they are today and it’s clear from our research that the recent fuel crisis has only accelerated the surge in demand for electric cars and their new technologies,” said Rebecca Whitmore, the electric vehicle senior product owner at Volkswagen Financial Services UK.

Electric Car

“However, to meet the government’s decarbonisation targets, we need the take-up of EVs to be much higher.

“The average length of each car journey in the UK is fewer than 10 miles, so there’s still a lot of work to be done to alter the wider public’s perception of their driving habits, because an electric car would slot into the average person’s daily life more seamlessly than they probably imagine.

“As EV technology continues to improve and these vehicles continue to become more affordable and accessible, it won’t be too long before we have mainstream adoption in the UK.”

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