More than half (54%) of UK car buyers are considering an electric vehicle as their next car, according to new data from EY’s latest Mobility Consumer Index.

This is an increase from 49% last year and higher than the 41% of potential buyers considering an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle.

However, the UK’s year-on-year growth in preference toward EVs outpaces its uptick in overall car-buying intent (which has grown from 44% to 45%), further emphasising the growing dominance of EVs across UK consumer demand.

UK EV car-buying intent is broadly in line with the average across other major auto markets (55%).

The UK’s growth in EV buying intent was driven by increases in popularity for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrids, with both seeing an increase in buying intent of three percentage points in 2023.

Buying intent for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) meanwhile remained unchanged from 2022, with 19% of respondents saying they’re likely to buy one.

Comparatively, 10% said they’re likely to opt for a PHEV, while 25% said they’re expecting to purchase a hybrid.

High fuel prices, rising environmental concerns, and penalties on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles emerged as the key motivators for potential EV buyers.

The 41% of UK respondents indicating their intent to buy an ICE vehicle was down marginally from 42% in 2022, and significantly down on 2021’s figure of 50%. The UK’s 2023 figure however remains slightly above ICE car-buying intent in the other countries featured in the survey (38%), which is down from 41% in 2022.

Overall car-buying intent fell from 45% in 2022 to 44% in 2023 across the twenty countries included in the survey.

The survey collects views from 15,000 respondents across 20 of the automotive sector’s top nations.

David Borland, EY UK & Ireland automotive leader, said: “The UK auto industry continues to demonstrate resilience to the many headwinds it has faced in recent years, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, supply chain disruption, volatile energy prices and cost of living challenges.

“Demand continues to display strong recovery, with May 2023 being the tenth consecutive month of growth for passenger car sales.

“This was backed up by the survey findings, with an increase in the number of consumers preferring a personal car versus car sharing, which is a trend from the pandemic that continues to stick.

“The survey also highlights the continued demand from consumers for alternative powertrain technologies that are not completely reliant on public charging infrastructure.”

Cost and convenience prioritised by consumers 

While EV buying intent in the UK has shown encouraging signs of growth in the last year according to EY’s latest Mobility Consumer Index, the report also highlights several key reasons why some consumers are still being deterred from making the switch.

Of those to express concerns around EVs, 37% said they were deterred by a lack of charging stations currently in place.

The second-most significant factor dissuading UK respondents from making the EV transition was the substantial upfront cost of EVs, with 36% deeming cost a key concern, while limited EV range (27%), and expensive charging/running costs (26%) were also cited.

Sixty-four per cent of respondents indicated that 200-300 miles would be an acceptable driving range for an EV.

Forty-nine per cent, meanwhile, were drawn to mid-range EVs, and 29% indicated their preference for premium EVs, despite the significant proportion of those put off from buying an EV due to substantial upfront costs.

With a particular focus on public chargers, respondents again placed convenience and cost among their top priorities.

Fifty-one per cent of respondents identified difficulties locating chargers as a top challenge, while 47% said the expensive cost of charging was a leading problem. 

Forty per cent also displayed a lack of confidence in the reliability of public chargers, citing non-functional chargers as a leading concern.

The importance of charging infrastructure at private homes, at workplaces and on streets near homes is highly significant, with 89% of UK survey respondents saying they would prefer to charge their EVs at one of these locations.

Affordability provisions may need to be put in place to accelerate the UK’s EV transition, with 54% of those expressing concerns about at-home chargers stating high electricity bills were a major concern, while 44% said they were deterred by high installation costs.

Despite the ongoing challenges facing EV infrastructure, consumer confidence continues to increase, with 90% of UK EV owners currently in the market for a vehicle saying they would buy another EV, up from 87% in 2022.

Maria Bengtsson, electric vehicle lead at EY UK, said: “EV buying intent continues to increase in the UK, as consumers place a greater focus on sustainability and attitudes towards EVs improve.

“These findings from our latest Mobility Consumer Index are also backed up by the recent growth in EV sales in the UK, with Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sales up 60% year-on-year in May.

“However, charging evidently remains a significant concern for potential EV buyers, both in relation to availability and cost.

"While it is clear that the number of chargers across the UK will need to increase significantly, it is also critical to ensure that charging capacity is available where EV drivers need it.

“This, in turn, is not only about the physical chargers being in the right places, but it is also about ensuring information about where they are located, their availability, and details of required payment methods, are all easily and quickly accessible to EV drivers.

"With consumers still experiencing a lack of interoperability, the customer experience must also be improved and simplified if we are to see sustained, significant growth in EV confidence among consumers to match the UK Government’s decarbonisation objectives.”