EV drivers report higher satisfaction than ICE – Autotrader and Octopus Electroverse

Research from Octopus Electroverse and Autotrader has revealed that EV drivers reported higher satisfaction than fuel drivers, uncovering a gap in expectation versus experience.

88% of fuel drivers said they need more information before making the switch to electric, with a fifth stating the lack of knowledge is what is stopping them from buying an EV.

Fuel drivers were nearly nine-times more likely to think EVs cost more to maintain, and eight-times more likely to assume day-to-day running costs are higher.

EV owners pocket an average of £860 a year by charging on a specialist tariff at home, based on data from Intelligent Octopus Go.

Recent Autotrader data showed that new electric cars are now cheaper than petrol on average for the first time, including discounts and Government grants.

EV owners are also almost twice as likely to call their car more reliable than a petrol equivalent, and overall satisfaction among EV drivers sits at 85% – with nearly half (48%) describing themselves as extremely satisfied, against 31% of fuel drivers who said the same.

Almost nine in 10 (87%) of those able to charge at home described it as easy and convenient.

On the road, two-thirds of drivers said public chargers are easy to find and quick to use, with the UK network recently surpassing 111,000 charge points, according to Octopus Electroverse’s Infrastructure Insights Report.