Soon, ‘electric cars’ will just be ‘cars’

More than two thirds of motorists of people expect ‘electric cars’ to be referred to simply as ‘cars’ by the year 2030, according to Go Ultra Low, the joint government and industry campaign created to promote the uptake of electric vehicles.

The organisation’s research project looked at the normalisation process of new technology.It found that seeing our family and friends driving electric cars (33%) increased visibility on the roads (49%) were the two main factors driving a change in the way EVs are perceived.

When asked what would make them more likely to buy an EV, 45% of respondents cited improved charging infrastructure, and 25% said a wider choice of models.

On average, people believed there were only 15 models available to buy at the moment.However, there are actually 24 fully electric and hydrogen models and 27 plug-in hybrids available on the market today, with this number set to double over the next 12 months.

Furthermore, there are now over 25,000 charge point connectors in the UK, at over 9,500 locations. A recent government announcement committed £70 million worth of investment to the rapid charge network, increasing the size from 2,100 to over 5,000 chargers.

In addition, due to investment from the industry and government support, prices for electric cars are set to be comparable to their petrol and diesel counterparts by the mid-2020s.

“It’s really encouraging to see that people expect EVs to be the norm in just over a decade,” the broadcaster, writer and now Go Ultra Low Ambassador, Ben Fogle, said.“Our research shows that as we become more aware of the benefits of owning an electric car, the choice of models available and the rapidly growing charging infrastructure, people are more likely to consider going green and buy an EV.

Poppy Welch, the Head of Go Ultra Low, added: “When we look at the EV market, it is clear we’re on the way towards electric mobility becoming part of everyday life for UK motorists. Electric cars are great to drive, can be very cheap to run and help improve local air quality. With prices moving closer to that of their petrol or diesel counterparts, an expanding chargepoint network and an increasing number of models available, there has never been a better time to consider an EV as your next car.”