Petrol remains the number one choice of car for UK drivers in 2022, despite the upcoming ban on petrol and diesel vehicles.
According to new research from Close Brothers Motor Finance, almost a third (30%) of motorist still prefer to purchase a petrol vehicle as their next car, well over the 18% who would choose to go electric. This is up by 8% from 2021, when only one in five (22%) intended to purchase a petrol engine vehicle.
Despite the government being keen to ensure the move to alternative fuel vehicles is swift, there is a long way to go. Not only are electric cars trailing petrol in popularity, the same is true of hybrid. Nearly a quarter (24%) of drivers would choose a hybrid next, but that is actually down from the 26% that said the same last year.
More women than men would stick to petrol, at 31% versus 29% of men. Conversely, electric cars are more popular with men, 22% of whom would choose one compared with just 14% of women.
Recent figures from Close Brothers Motor Finance’s Dealer Satisfaction Survey found that only 4% of dealers feel that the growth in electric vehicles is the biggest opportunity for their business.
Seán Kemple, Managing Director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, commented: “The Government’s ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars is fast approaching – just eight years away. But at what should be a time for motorists to transition and plug into electric, they’re in fact moving further away.
“Significant concerns remain, and these must be addressed if we are to see more motorists making the switch. We are still languishing in the tens of thousands of much needed electric car charging points – we need to get to 2 million to meet the ambitious 2030 goals. Coupled with the Government cutting grants – the second time in just one year - for electric car buyers, the industry is at risk of not going in the right direction.”
