11 years from now, electric cars will only be called ‘cars’ — UK poll

JUST as carmakers have long moved away from advertising their vehicles come equipped with “power brakes,” pretty soon most people will refer to electric cars as simply “cars.”

New research conducted by New Go Ultra Low, the joint UK government and industry campaign to promote the uptake of electric vehicles, or EVs, found 69% of people polled will drop the “electric” in “electric cars” by the year 2030. The research, which looked at the adoption process of new technology, found people seeing their family and friends driving them (33%), as well more being visible on the road (49%), as the two main factors driving a change in the way we perceive EVs. This comes as registrations for battery electric vehicles are rising.

When asked what factors would improve the likelihood of purchasing an EV, 45% of respondents cited improved charging infrastructure.

A quarter of those surveyed said a wider variety of models would increase their purchase consideration. The same research found that, on average, people believed there were less EV models available on the market than there actually are.

“It’s really encouraging to see that people expect EVs to be the norm in just over a decade. Our research shows that as we become more aware of the benefits of owning an electric car, the choice of models available and the rapidly growing charging infrastructure, people are more likely to consider going green and buy an EV,” said New Go Ultra Low ambassador Ben Fogle.