More than half of dealers (56%) say that a lack of home charging is the biggest objection they hear from customers considering an electric car.

Other issues, revealed in the latest research by Startline Motor Finance, include EVs being too expensive compared to petrol and diesel (cited by 42%), that the range is too low for their needs (42%) and the battery might degrade quickly (39%).

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline, said the findings show that current public perception of electric cars is a mix of real issues and misinformation.

“Having no home charger is a good example of this,” he explained. “If a potential buyer has off-road parking, then the dealer can partner with a provider to get a charger installed. It’s quite easily sorted. However, if the motorist lives in an apartment or terraced house and has no space for a charger, that’s a genuine barrier to adoption, and will only really be resolved by the widespread installation of on-street charging over time.”

Burgess added that some of the other points raised by consumers are probably also untrue.

“The used car market now knows that battery degradation is not a serious problem, while with 300-mile-plus ranges becoming common, neither is the distance that the vehicle can travel.

“However, it is salient that EVs remain too expensive for many buyers and there are few practical options under £10,000. That is changing quite quickly though and, over the next couple of years, we expect electric cars to become within reach for more motorists.”

The June issue of Startline’s monthly Used Car Tracker also reported that 38% of buyers are worried about electric cars losing a lot of value, 35% don’t trust the technology involved and 35% say insurance costs are too high.

“Again, this is an assortment of genuine and perceived problems. Insurance costs have risen for electric cars in the last couple of years, and values – while now more stable – remain less so than for petrol and diesel cars. However, the technology itself is well-proven and there is extensive evidence to show that actually running an electric car is considerably cheaper in terms of fuel and maintenance.”

The June edition of the Startline Used Car Tracker quizzed 301 consumers and 66 dealers.