Around 16m Britons can't afford electric cars - and that's BEFORE the Government slashed grants to help drivers buy them from October
- New survey reveals that 44% of UK drivers can't afford a new electric car
- Government recently reduced incentives put in place to increase low-emissions car uptake
- As a result, electric cars are £1k more expensive to buy than they were before
- Used electric models are comparatively pricier at the moment, too - around £6,500 on average more than the rest of the second-hand market
The Government's recent decision to slash grants for the purchase of electric cars and remove them altogether for plug-in hybrids will slow UK motorists' transition to ultra-low emissions vehicles, a new report has warned.
Around 16million drivers can't afford an electric car, which have become £1,000 more expensive to purchase new since October 21 when the Department for Transport fast-tracked reduced rates the grant scheme to help Britons buy them, a survey shows.
It means those drivers who do want to make the switch to plug-in power will instead have to delve into the used market rather than owning the latest models with the longer ranges.
Too pricey: A new survey found that more than two in five UK motorists can't afford electric cars, even before the government slashed the financial incentives to buy them
The poll of more than 2,000 motorists found that 44 per cent (the equivalent of 16million licenced drivers) claimed they wouldn't have the necessary funds to purchase the latest electric cars.
The survey, carried out by Comparethemarket, is the latest in a series of studies to asses consumer opinion towards ultra-low emissions vehicles.
The comparison website found that two thirds of the panel do not want one as their next vehicle, even despite the Government's pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 and a parliamentary select committee demanded in October for it to be accelerated by eight years to 2032.
When asked what with fuel the next model they buy, 43 per cent of the respondents said they would opt for a petrol-powered vehicle.
Demand for diesel cars - which have been hammered by additional taxes, surcharges for parking and entry to some regions and potential bans from city centres across Europe - has plummeted, with just 17 per cent of the drivers quizzed saying they would buy one next.
That means hybrid is likely to be the second most popular choice for motorists heading to showrooms in the near future, with a quarter saying they want the combination of electric and combustion power.
Just eight per cent said they would choose a battery electric model - one that entirely relies on electric power - next.
More than half of drivers surveyed said they a lack of infrastructure and range anxiety remained high on their list of concerns about electric vehicles
While many of the same concerns about owning pure electric cars remain - including a lack of infrastructure and range anxiety (a major concern for more than of respondents) - it's cost that's becoming an increasing hurdle.
Take the Nissan Leaf, for example.
It's considered one of the more affordable electric models, but still has a price tag of £26,190.
Of the 2,000 or so drivers polled, just four per cent said they'd be willing to spend over £25,000 on a new car.
The Nissan Leaf is considered one of the more affordable family-sized electric cars but is more expensive than what 96% of motorists surveyed are willing to pay for a new vehicle
Motorists were also frustrated by the few tax rebates and other incentives in place for electric car drivers to help encourage motorists to go green.
While Vehicle and Excise Duty remains free (unless the car costs more than £40,000, which then makes it £320 to tax at the standard rate for five years - read more here) and there reductions for company car tax, the reduction of rates available through the Plug-in Vehicle Grant raise the bar.
Under the new rules, electric car grants have fallen by £1,000 from £4,500 to £3,500 and the £2,500 grant for plug-in hybrids has been abolished.
The lower rates were due to be introduced on November 9 but were quickly fast-tracked to October 21 because the number of applications for grants increased by 543 per cent shortly after the cuts were announced earlier last month.
However, the survey revealed that many Britons were unaware that the government would put its hands in its pocket to help them buy a new electric car.
Nearly three quarters of UK drivers (72 per cent) did not know about government subsidies and 81 per cent were unaware that the rates have been changed from the end of October.
It means any driver tempted by the idea of switching to an ultra-low emissions vehicle will instead have to buy from the second-hand market.
This leaves motorists with a risk of owning a vehicle that might have a battery that's been repeatedly charged and could have depleted capacity, but also restricts them to older models that can't match the ranges of the latest electric vehicles on sale.
The Government fast-tracked reduced rates for the Plug-in Car Grant after receiving an exceptional number of grant requests from buyers who wanted to take advantage of the larger savings that have been in place since December 2015
Second hand electric cars are, on average, quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the market.
The average price of a used electric car for sale on Auto Trader is £19,578, which is £6,500 more than market as whole.
We've teamed up with AA Cars to suggest which used electric cars are worth considering based on price and range.
Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at Comparethemarket said it was up to the Government to 'make up its mind' as to whether it fully supports electric cars or not.
'On the one hand, MPs are eager to accelerate transformation of the UK into an electric car nation, and on the other it is cutting the subsidies which would make these cars more affordable,' he said.
'Our research shows that 61 per cent of people think the government should be doing more to encourage the use of electric cars.
'The desire to go green is there, but the upfront costs as well as range anxiety and an inadequate number of charging points across the country, make that an impossibility for many.'
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