Dumb Londoners Don’t Understand Electric Vehicles

Philip Oakley

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28th November 2019

Almost a third of Londoners are less knowledgeable than their country-dwelling cousins about electric vehicles.

This comes as research reveals 29% of those living in London wouldn’t feel safe driving an electric vehicle in lightning, whereas only 11% in East Anglia felt the same way, showing there is a large gap of understanding about electric vehicles in different areas of the country.

Furthermore, the same amount of Londoners also have similar concerns about driving an EV in the rain – a little worrying when London gets 160 days on rainfall on average a year.

There are an estimated 20,000 EVs on London’s streets, including Transport for London’s electric bus fleet, the largest in Europe, and 1,700 electric taxis – but personal vehicle ownership is traditionally much lower in cities than in the countryside, which may go some way to explaining the research’s findings.

Meanwhile, 22% wouldn’t feel comfortable charging an EV despite the fact they are just bigger versions of the phones or laptops in our pockets and on our desks. 12% also said they wouldn’t want to charge their phone in an EV, although it’s not clear if this is due to concerns over depleting the cars’ battery or safety.

With the release of these statistics, it’s clear both vehicle manufacturers and the government need to educate people about electric vehicles, especially if the plan to phase out sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040 goes ahead.