(September 6, 2011) Motorists are only marginally more open to the idea of buying a next-generation hybrid car or range-extended model as they are a fully electric battery model, the latest research has found.

As the UK prepares to welcome the first plug-in hybrid models and range-extended cars, research from leading green car guide, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk found that, in spite of concerns over charging infrastructure, just a small majority of motorists would prefer one these cars over a fully battery-dependent model.

Just 52 per cent said they would be more likely to buy one of these combustion engine-supported models than a full electric car, assuming these vehicles were all priced around the same.

With the range-extended Vauxhall Ampera set to cost £28,995 after a £5,000 plugged-in car grant (PICG), it will be closely priced to fully electric rivals such as the Nissan Leaf (£25,990 after PICG), meaning such electric cars could face serious competition from models with a greater driving range.

Nonetheless an impressive 48 per cent of respondents voted in favor of electric cars.

The poll, conducted by TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk, reveals a surprising result and supports other research which suggests that drivers in Great Britain typically travel less than 25 miles per journey in their cars — well within the capabilities of a modern electric vehicle.

2011 Vauxhall Ampera

“We fully expected that motorists would express a great interest in these next-generation range-extended models as a half-way house to a fully electric model,” explains the website’s editor, Faye Sunderland.

“Both full EVs and hybrid type cars remain too expensive for many, our research suggests that it is indeed price, and not range, which will delay the uptake of these type of vehicles.

“As prices come down with increased production, we could see motorists making sensible decisions based on their driving needs rather than an irrational fear of electric cars. It is an encouraging result, which may go some way to combating criticism over the slow uptake of the Plugged-in Car Grants,” she adds. 

“Ultimately fully electric models will offer the lowest running costs. But nevertheless the arrival of models such as the Vauxhall Ampera, Toyota Prius Plug-in and Volvo V60 Plug-in will offer a further step into the electrification of the motor car, extending on the progress pioneered by the first generation hybrids,” she concludes.