Electric cars are top of the list for British drivers’ next car purchases, but concerns on charging remain dominant.

Six in 10 (60%) drivers will move away from petrol and diesel vehicles and opt for battery technology when purchasing their next car

That’s according to a new Future of Transport Report from Lex Autolease, which provides a bi-annual analysis of the UK’s transport sector.

The research includes the Future of Transport Index, a new measure which uses vehicle finance data and consumer research to track the level of confidence in different transport technologies and reveal how attitudes towards them are evolving.

The findings disclose that six in 10 (60%) drivers will move away from petrol and diesel vehicles and opt for battery technology when purchasing their next car, with two-fifths (40%) of these set to choose a purely electric vehicle.

The EV shift is mainly prompted by drivers’ environmental concerns on traditional petrols and diesels. Two-thirds (66%) say it’s important that the vehicle they drive helps them reduce their environmental impact and almost as many (63%) feel that the transition to electric vehicles is important to help the UK reach net zero.

Drivers are also keen to go electric to avoid Ultra Low Emission Zone charges (35%) and to make savings on overall maintenance and running costs (34%).

But concerns remain and those considering making the switch expect they won’t get an electric vehicle for an average of five years.

The availability of charging infrastructure is a particular issue, cited by 52% of respondents, followed by the length of time to charge (41%) and the logistics of installing charging infrastructure at home (31%).

Exactly half (50%) said their property was not suitable for charging an electric vehicle and only a quarter (24%) of drivers said there were enough easily accessible public charge points in their area.

And nearly two thirds (65%) said government departments and policy makers should do more to encourage electric vehicle adoption among drivers.

Petrol remains dominant, finds Future of Transport Index

Lex Autolease’s new Future of Transport Index also shows confidence is currently highest in petrol vehicles – and lowest in diesels.

Calculated by analysing the latest vehicle figures from Lloyds Banking Group’s Transport brands, Black Horse and Lex Autolease, alongside data collected from more than 1,500 private car drivers, the Index runs from -50 to +100, where -50 means confidence in that fuel type is at its lowest, while +100 indicates confidence is at its highest.

Petrol takes the highest figure for driver confidence, with an Index score of 42, followed by hybrid vehicles with a score of 32. Electric vehicles are close behind at 31, while diesel vehicles were given an Index score of 13.

Nick Williams, transport managing director at Lex Autolease, said: “Attitudes towards battery technology vehicles are changing at pace, with many more drivers intending on making the transition.

“While for now, petrol vehicles remain the dominant force on the UK’s roads, there is a seismic shift on the horizon – especially when you combine the progress already being made to adopt new electric and hybrid vehicles, and drivers’ future purchasing intentions.

“In order to maintain this momentum, we need to see sustained investment and legislation from government to facilitate better access to new charging points and to ensure a steady supply of electric and hybrid vehicle models for UK drivers.”