Britain's EV owners forecast to double when drivers buy their 'next car'

Updated: 10:00 EDT, 15 October 2026 The proportion of drivers owning electric vehicles in Britain is forecast to more than double with just one switch of their car.New research claims that 18 per cent of drivers say their next car will be an EV, which compares to the 7 per cent who currently own one.Overall, 44 per cent of respondents in the 2,000-person-strong survey by repair firm Kwik Fit said they'd opt for a low-emission EV or hybrid for their next car.In contrast, just 30 per cent of petrol car owners said they planned for their next car to run solely on the fuel. The survey recorded the highest level of EV and low-emission interest that Kwik Fit has seen since it began tracking buying intentions in 2020.The desire to go electric and benefit from lower running costs is likely to have been driven up substantially by the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices, triggered by the Iran War. Almost one in five drivers say their next car will be an EV, according to research from Kwik Fit More than a third of all new car registrations, at 36.3 per cent, in September were electric, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found.New car sales have increased this year, with SMMT figures showing September posting a 12.7 per cent increase on the same month last year - the best performance in a decade.Kwik Fit's data, which takes the temperature of car-buying sentiment, indicates the uptick will continue.Two-thirds of drivers have plans to change their vehicle and on average expect to do so in 22 months, but 31 per cent plan to swap their car in the next 12 months.Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, said: ‘This research shows how quickly the make-up of the UK car parc could change as people buy their next vehicle. 'Over the last six years, Kwik Fit’s research has shown a consistent rise in the number of drivers planning to switch to an EV or hybrid.' What stops people going electric?There are still some barriers to the adoption of EVs, despite the cost of many electric cars on finance deals being level with petrol vehicles.Range anxiety is still a problem in many motorists' minds, although concerns are easing. Kwik Fit says 35 per cent of drivers mentioned range in this year’s research, compared to 41 per cent in 2023.The second biggest concern was not being able to charge an EV at home. This climbed from sixth place last year, indicating that a broader spread of drivers are more seriously considering an EV.The Government is pushing to get more drivers to buy EVs with the controversial Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate. This requires car and van manufacturers to sell an increasing yearly percentage of zero-emission vehicles, with fines if they breach targets.The Department for Transport has launched a formal review, scheduled to end on October 23, into the ZEV Mandate’s phasing of strict targets. There is industry speculation that the 2030 deadline for 80 per cent of new cars being fully electric could be weakened.Overall, drivers are broadly split over whether Britain should stick to the ZEV Mandate, with 36 per cent agreeing we should and 29 per cent disagreeing.However, for current EV drivers, there is a clear difference, with 56 per cent saying the current schedule should be kept and only 15 per cent disagreeing.Mr Joyce said: ‘It is vital that the ZEV Mandate phasing treads the right balance between encouraging the transition to low emissions and the practicalities vehicle manufacturers face. 'However, it’s notable that any potential changes have a clear risk of creating uncertainty among drivers.’