Searches for electric cars on ZenAuto’s car leasing site have rocketed 172% since September 2021.

One in five (19%) drivers surveyed said the fuel crisis made them more eager to switch to an EV sooner, while a third (35%) said that COP26 had encouraged this

The data from Zenith’s direct-to-consumer leasing business is backed by Google Trends, which indicates that the biggest peaks in interest for EV information in 2021 were during the fuel shortage in late September and at the end of October, just before the start of the COP26 conference. Search interest for electric cars was also at its highest point in five years at the end of September.

A new poll carried out by ZenAuto among 4,000 motorists has found one in five (19%) said the fuel crisis made them more eager to switch to an EV sooner, while a third (35%) said that COP26 had encouraged this.

Its research also reveals that awareness of EV benefits and features has grown in the last year. A third (32%) of motorists claimed their knowledge of EV benefits and features had improved ‘somewhat’ in the last year, while around one in 10 (11%) felt their knowledge has improved ‘significantly’.

Younger drivers were found to be the most likely to make the switch; 75% of drivers in the 18-24 year-old brackets said they’d make the move, compared to 35% for the over-65s.

But while intention is high, barriers to switching remain, with two-thirds (68%) of non-EV drivers put off by the initial cost of the vehicles, and more than half (58%) saying prices would need to significantly reduce for them to buy in the next six months.

A total of 12% also stated that whilst they are eager to become an electric car owner now, they simply can’t afford to do so at present.

Access to charging points is also a top concern, with almost half (46%) feeling that the number of points in their area would need to significantly increase for this to be a viable option for them, and 38% saying they’d want a free charging point providing for their home.

Just 4% said they don’t expect to have an EV before the Government bans the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, although one in 10 (10%) admitted a massive global environmental disaster would get them to make the switch.