30% of car buyers unsure whether to choose diesel, petrol, or electric for their next vehicle

A new survey has revealed that almost a third of car drivers in the UK are unsure whether their next vehicle purchase should be diesel, petrol, or electric.

Earlier this year, the UK government announced plans to ban the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles (including hybrids and plug-in hybrids) from 2035. This is a step up from previous plans to ban only diesel and petrol cars by 2040.

As the market stands currently, fewer than 3% of new car sales, and less than 1% of used car sales, are for electric vehicles. However, this is expected to rise over the coming years as more manufactures begin to improve their electric offerings at more affordable prices.

Over 50% find the thought of switching to electric vehicles daunting

More than 2,000 drivers were surveyed by GAP insurance provider InsuretheGap.com, with results revealing that 30% of drivers are unsure whether to choose diesel, petrol, or electric when purchasing their next vehicle.

Over 50% of respondents admitted that they found the prospect of switching to electric ‘too daunting’ to consider making one as their next vehicle at the moment. A further 31% said that the indecision over what to buy next is leading them to keep their current vehicle longer than they typically would have in the past.

Speaking on the planned move to electric vehicles, chief operating officer at InsuretheGap.com, Ben Wooltorton, said:

“From 2035 or sooner, drivers will only be able to buy electric or hydrogen cars. However, looking at the results of this survey, this looks like a big leap of faith for many consumers who are clearly unsure about what type of car they should be buying.

“You can understand why people are feeling insecure as we were told not long ago that we should all buy diesel, and now diesel is being banned. It seems that many drivers need greater confidence that the issues around running an electric car are resolved before they will commit.”

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