Driver survey finds just one third want new petrol car, most eyeing electric or hybrid

The Driven

A new survey of Victorian drivers has found that more people would prefer to purchase a hybrid vehicle, over a petrol engined vehicle, for their next purchase, with a further third of drivers saying an all-electric vehicle would be their preferred choice.

The survey undertaken by toll road mangers EastLink found that around 40 per cent of motorists would prefer to buy a hybrid vehicle as their next vehicle, beating out petrol vehicles which were the preferred choice of around 32 per cent of motorists.

The results highlight the substantial shift that appears likely to occur in the passenger vehicle market, with a substantial proportion of petrol-fueled vehicle owners indicating they are keen to switch to an electric alternative.

“The EastLink survey is the world’s largest annual tracking study of motorists’ attitudes to self driving and driver assistance technologies, vehicle connectivity, vehicle electrification and road use charging – technologies which are expected to converge in cars of the future,” EastLink corporate affairs manager Doug Spencer-Roy said.

The survey comes as the sale of new petrol and diesel cars continue to plummet, while sales of electric and hybrid cars surge (albeit off a low base).

These figures are being replicated in many European countries, but while EV sales in those countries are growing to be substantial, the suspicion is that in Australia the lack of choice and high prices of EVs means more people are deciding to delay any new car purchase until the landscape changes.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated sister site, The Driven, click here…