Following the news that sales of battery electric vehicles are rising, against a backdrop of lower overall new car sales, RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams said:

“We are getting close to a tipping point where buying an electric vehicle is an increasingly credible option for many. The factors that influence choice are beginning to line up to make an electric vehicle (EV) a wise option for many drivers including: a greater, more diverse range of vehicles; significantly improved battery range; and an improving charging infrastructure. Ultimately price is the biggest sticking point although prices will begin to fall as demand grows.

“Our latest RAC Report on Motoring found that one in ten drivers would consider purchasing a pure electric vehicle (3%) or a plug-in hybrid (7%) as their next car, and 17% would consider a conventional hybrid. Those saying they would go for a conventionally-fuelled vehicle are in decline with 52% opting for a petrol engine and 18% for a diesel.  Two-thirds of drivers (67%) say they would require a minimum EV range of at least 300 miles between charging, and half (50%) said the maximum time to fully recharge a vehicle mid-journey would have to be no more than 30 minutes.”

“A third (36%) of drivers see themselves buying a pure electric vehicle within the next 10 years and half (49%) within 15 years. So the RAC is gearing itself up to deal with higher volumes of EVs on our roads, including equipping some patrol vans with new lightweight EV Boost portable chargers.”