A new survey by the Automobile Association in Ireland shows that 34% of motorists have or would switch to an electric vehicle due to rising fuel costs.
The poll of over 4,200 motorists also reveals that 33% are likely or have already switched to an EV due to climate change, 14% said it would be a ‘personal choice’ and 9% said an EV would be ‘suitable’ for their ‘driving needs’.
When asked why people would be hesitant to switch to an electric vehicle, 57% said it was due to a lack of or insufficient charging infrastructure, 45% said it was due to range anxiety or technological uncertainty and 58% said it would be due to cost.
21% said there is a lack of information about these vehicles, while 17% said there is limited availability and choice of models.
Meanwhile, 52% said the Government’s target of having 1 million vehicles on the road by 2030 is ‘not achievable’, while 30% said it ‘might be’.
The AA survey also asked respondents what type of vehicle they would choose if they were to purchase another or a different one in the next year; 49% said hybrid, 15% said petrol, 19% said diesel and 14% said a battery electric vehicle (BEV).
“Our survey does highlight that there appears to be a greater urgency on the part of the car buying public to move to electric or partially electric vehicles, with this accelerated by ever rising fuel costs. It’s more than 40% more expensive to fill an average petrol car for the year now and with a greater range of electric vehicles on sale now, with 57 different fully electric models now on sale from 27 brands, there is now a very healthy choice,” said AA Ireland Head of Communications, Paddy Comyn.
AA figures for July 2022 show the average price of petrol in Ireland is now at €2.15, with the average price of diesel now at €2.14. In three weeks diesel prices have increased by an average of 4.4% from €2.05 to €2.14. Meanwhile, petrol prices have gone from €2.13 per litre to just marginally more to €2.15 – a 0.8% increase. The cost of putting fuel in an average petrol car is €777 more than last year, or 42% more.
