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Gen Z vs Gen X: Which age group is most likely to buy an EV?

Electric car subscription company elmo has surveyed over 2,000 UK motorists to determine the UK’s attitudes and perceptions towards EVs.

The survey

featured respondents who do not drive electric vehicles, to understand their attitudes towards EVs, focusing on the attractiveness, charging points and timings, and the potential monetary gains of owning an electric car.

It found that those in the Gen Z age-range (between 16–24-year-olds) were the most likely to switch to EV, with 35% in this category confirming their intentions to go electric.

However, those aged between 25-54 years old were the most undecided, with 50% saying they were unsure whether or not their next car would be electric.

Those aged over 55 years old are the least likely to make the switch, with 38% revealing they had no intention to buy an electric car.

Overall, the study revealed that 27% of respondents would not choose an electric vehicle for their next car, whereas 22% said they would. Almost half (49%) said they are undecided.

When looking at gender, men are more likely than women to go fully electric with their next car, with 31% of men ready to switch compared to just 18% of women. Women are more undecided on whether to go fully electric with their next car, with 54% unsure whether to switch or not.

The report also found that a third of UK drivers are put off buying an EV due to the high purchase price. However, of those surveyed over half (58%) of respondents did not know the potential cost savings from switching to an electric car.

Around six in ten respondents (61%) said they don’t know where their nearest public charging point is, and over a fifth of drivers estimated that the average range of EVs is between 151- 200 miles, However the real world average range is around 203 miles.

Olly Jones, co-founder at elmo, said: “It is really interesting to see the UK’s attitudes towards electric vehicles, and how the costs of purchasing an EV is putting off UK residents from taking the step towards ownership.

“Many people in the UK are not informed on where their nearest chargers are, how much they could save by having an electric vehicle or the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle. That is why pieces of informational research like this are so important for consumers’ decisions.

“It is fantastic to be able to offer electric vehicle subscriptions to UK drivers, which is a great alternative to purchasing and making that longer-term commitment to an electric vehicle and is a great way to test the waters to see if they want to make that bigger commitment if they are able.”

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