Fewer than one in five (19%) motorists say they would consider a hybrid or electric vehicle as their next car, a new study has found.
Almost half (47%) of this group said the potentially lower running costs – rather than the cut in emission levels – was the main attraction.
Some 1,555 British motorists took part in the survey which was commissioned for the RAC Report on Motoring 2015.
The motoring organisation warned that the figures demonstrate how changes to vehicle excise duty (VED) are likely to dampen enthusiasm for these vehicles.
Under current regulations cars which produce up to 100g/km of carbon dioxide are exempt from the tax.
But from 2017 only new cars which produce zero emissions will avoid VED. This means that lower-emission models will pay between £10 and £100 in the first year and then the standard annual rate of £140.
RAC chief engineer David Bizley accepted that the Treasury needs to take action to stabilise its income from VED in the wake of falling CO2 levels from new cars.
But he warned that the change in policy could have a detrimental impact on the popularity of low-carbon cars.
“As annual running costs play a significant part in the choice of a new vehicle, the removal of any VED benefit from running ultra-low-carbon vehicles, other than a pure electric vehicle, is bound to have an effect when motorists are weighing up the options,” he said.
“We accept the current VED system needs to be changed, but the Government’s plans to remove one of the financial benefits of running plug-in hybrid or extended-range electric vehicles – the fastest-growing part of the ultra-low emission vehicle market – could easily put some motorists off buying them.”
Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that combined hybrid and electric car sales make up less than 3% of the UK’s new car market.
(Source : BT.com)
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