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Fewer than one in six motorists (16%) believe that electric vehicle (EV) prices will have fallen enough to make them affordable by the new Labour government’s planned 2030 petrol and diesel cut-off date.

  • Just 16% believe electric vehicle (EV) prices will have fallen sufficiently by 2030
  • Also, 22% say there won’t be enough public charging available by the deadline
  • However, 71% expect to be driving an EV by 2030, shows September’s Startline Used Car Tracker

September’s Startline Used Car Tracker also shows that 22% say there won’t be sufficient public charging, 21% that people need more time to make the switch to EVs, and 21% that people simply prefer petrol and diesel cars.

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In contrast, just 21% say that the move should go ahead because it is the right thing for the environment.

However, despite this apparent lack of enthusiasm for electrification, the Startline Used Car Tracker also shows 71% of people expect to be driving an EV by 2030 with just 13% saying they would never own an electric car.

It is a Labour Manifesto commitment to reinstate the 2030 petrol and diesel production ban after it was delayed to 2035 by Rishi Sunak last year. The new government has also reinstated its intention to go ahead with the move since being elected.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “At first glance, these findings might appear almost contradictory, showing that most people both believe that EVs will still be too expensive in 2030 but that they also expect to be driving one.

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“Probably the most sensible interpretation is that they think electrification is inevitable but that the car they will end up owning as a result will cost them more than the petrol or diesel they are driving today. Whether this is true at that point in time is open to question. There are already a large number of relatively affordable EVs on the used market and prices will inevitably fall further, while battery reliability over time is proving to be good.

“Also, of course, prices of EVs will generally fall as production volumes continue to rise. Already this year, we have seen battery prices reduce quite dramatically, which should feed through into lower car pricing relatively quickly.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 307 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.