Far more drivers say they would be willing to choose an alternatively-fuelled vehicle than actually do so, according to research by fleet management company CLM.
When 400 drivers were asked if they would consider such a vehicle, 24% said they would be likely or very likely to consider a fully electric car; 32% said the same for a plug-in hybrid; and 36% for a conventional hybrid.
However, CLM says this contrasts sharply with actually sales, with alternatively fuelled vehicles making up just 5.8% of UK registrations so far this year.
For pure electric cars, the figure is just 0.57%, compared with 1.83% for plug-in hybrids and 3.38% for conventional hybrids.
CLM managing director John Lawrence put the discrepancy down to a lack of understanding and education, saying the survey also found that only 26% of drivers surveyed could correctly identify a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and 38% a conventional hybrid, compared with 64% for a fully electric car.
He said: “We have seen the choice of AFVs grow considerably in the last year, and while this will certainly have helped to find new adopters, there are still many people who don’t understand the technology and how it performs.
“If we are still struggling with basic understanding, it’s not very surprising that when it comes to the crunch, drivers stick with what they know.”
Lawrence said that from a company perspective, decisions about vehicle choice still had to be made on a hard-nosed, pragmatic and cost-effective basis, regardless of driver intentions.
He said: “If the nature of your business demands a large number of short, urban journeys, then plug-in hybrids or even pure electric vehicles (EVs) can be the perfect choice for your drivers.
“But if you’re covering longer distances and don’t have re-charging opportunities, then EVs simply aren’t an option, and plug-in hybrids simply become conventional vehicles carrying several hundred kilos of battery packs and electric motors.”
Lawrence warned that businesses should be wary of drivers wanting to choose potentially unsuitable plug-in hybrids due to low BIK rates.
He said: “You have to look at whether the driver is realistically able to optimise the use of the vehicle by maximising the mileage covered in electric-only mode.
“This would mean ideally being able to charge the car both at home and at the workplace.
“If this isn’t possible, then fuel consumption is likely to be far higher than an equivalent diesel.
“Where this is the case, businesses need to seriously consider whether such drivers should be allowed to choose this type of vehicle.”
