IONITY survey finds that relieving anxieties about charging range and time is the key to the acceptance of e-vehicles

IONITY, Europe's leading high power charging network, today announces a European-wide survey on motorist's attitudes towards electric vehicles (EVs) and other topics related to the future of e-mobility. The findings found there are considerable differences between the countries but even bigger commonalities, and a great need for clarification on e-mobility across the board.

The majority of European motorists believe that in ten years we will be driving predominantly electric cars - a satisfying outlook. According to the findings, 30% of those surveyed across Europe are actually considering switching to electric cars within the next 12 months. The reduction of CO2 emissions (39%) is a decisive argument for those who already drive electric cars. Only in Italy government subsidies were the main reason for switching to electric cars (57%).

Across Europe, our survey found that range anxiety and charging times are still the main barriers to adopting and switching to electric vehicles. If we look at the reasons for hesitation among drivers of internal combustion vehicles (ICEs), there is unanimity across borders: 37% of those surveyed said “a bigger range” is the key reason to switch to an electric car.

However, the development of the charging infrastructure in the individual countries across Europe influences the perceptions. In the Netherlands, a country with well-developed charging infrastructure, drivers of electric cars actually have fewer concerns about charging times (37%) or charging stations (35%) based on their experiences. Nevertheless, there is also a discrepancy between assumptions and actual experience. For example, non-EV drivers in the Netherlands immediately think of the search for charging stations (49%) or the duration of the charging process (43%). However, the situation is completely different in Spain, a country with a comparatively underdeveloped charging infrastructure. In Spain, EV drivers signal great concern with the charging network and most often associate driving an electric vehicle with searching for charging stations (65%).

The survey found:

30% (41% ES vs 18% FR) are considering buying an electric car in the next 12 months
71% (66% FR vs 83% IT) would be willing to pay more to charge 100% renewable energy
19% (8% IT vs 24% DT) believe that in 10 years, internal combustion cars will still be driven the most
15% (19% DE vs 9% PT) think that combustion cars are more environmentally friendly than e-cars

Additional European insights:

32% of all German respondents believe EVs don't work in cold temperatures
54 % of Brits are not convinced about financial incentives
67% of Norwegian EV drivers use fast-charging stations when they are available

In the UK, the top 5 reasons for owning an EV include:

1st place - 34 % said to reduce carbon footprint
2nd place - 29% said saving money in maintenance costs

In the UK, the main incentive to buy an EV includes:

1st place - the ability to drive further on a single charge (34%)
2nd place - More charging points available in my area (28%)

IONITY recognised early on that the market needs a future proof high power network to enable and drive forward the future of e-mobility. The Europe-wide expansion of high power charging networks, the broad model initiative by manufacturers, as well as the long range possibilities of new vehicles will make the current obstacles that are keeping the consumer from changing to electric mobility a thing of the past.