(January 2, 2021) LONDON — A new poll of Zap-Map’s community of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the United Kingdom has revealed more than 90% will not be replacing their current EV with a gas or diesel vehicle. The results are strong evidence of the fundamental shift in consumer attitudes in favor of environmentally friendly cars. In the poll, which was carried out in November with over 2,000 respondents, 91% said “no thanks” to replacing their EVs — and in stark contrast less than 1% were hankering for a return to fossil fuels. 9% said they were not sure.

The majority of respondents were first-time EV drivers, with 73% stating their current vehicle was their first EV, and 52% making the purchase within the last year. Driver satisfaction was notably higher for both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with EV drivers reporting a satisfaction score of 91 out of 100 (BEV 92, PHEV 84)[1], compared with only 72 for petrol or diesel vehicle ownership.

The data shows the positive impact of the EV experience on drivers in the UK who may have become accustomed to fossil fuel vehicles.



EV models which received the highest satisfaction scores included the Volkswagen ID.3, Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid, and BMW 3 Series sedan (all 100); Tesla Model 3 (96); Kia e-Niro (96); and the Hyundai KONA electric (94). Nearly all the models, including popular ones such as the Renault Zoe (92) and Nissan Leaf (90), also achieved high levels of driver commitment.

The survey results come at a time of record-breaking sales for the electric vehicle industry. Latest industry figures show that for the year-to-date 9.7% of all UK new car sales had a plug, compared to 3.2% in 2019, and 1.1% in 2015.

Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-Founder of Zap-Map, commented: “Our latest poll shows the strong and enduring impact of switching to a clean car. The evidence in favor of electric vehicles grows more compelling with each one of our surveys, even in a year as disruptive as 2020.
“The challenge for the automotive industry is to take advantage of the opportunities that EVs present, not only in terms of the rapidly expanding range, but also ensuring that sales staff are knowledgeable enough to present the benefits to their customers.