AN estimated 11.5M UK drivers could be losing nearly £1,000 a year in fuel and tax because of myths surrounding electric cars.

According to the research by Go Ultra Low, a joint initiative by government and the UK automotive industry, millions of motorists don’t drive further than 80 miles in a single trip and could benefit from the lowest cost, tax-free motoring by switching to pure electric vehicles. Millions more could benefit from other ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) including plug-in hybrids, which can travel between 150 and 700 miles between charges thanks to range-boosting petrol and diesel assistance.

The Go Ultra Low research shows that 70% of car owners are planning to change their car within the next four years, while three in ten say they have considered purchasing a ULEV. Two thirds of motorists under the age of 24 have considered a ULEV compared to just a quarter of drivers over 55.

The survey reveals that the majority of motorists still don’t fully understand how electrically-powered vehicles work and believe out-dated myths across a number of topics, from range and charging to cost and practicality.

Alex Michaelides, spokesperson for the Go Ultra Low campaign, said: “With more than 8M families in the UK running two cars or more, pure-electric vehicles are the perfect family run-around, while hybrid and range-extended cars offer great long-distance options. Whereas once there was only a handful of ULEVs on offer and limited recharging infrastructure, today there are all sorts of types and sizes of car, backed-up by a nationwide network of recharging points.”