Less than a quarter of motorists now care about green issues and the environment, but a clear majority say they would buy an environmentally-friendly car if incentives were better, a major new report by the RAC has found.
The
RAC’s 22nd annual Report on Motoring has revealed that concerns about green issues have fallen sharply over the last three years among
motorists with one in three saying they will drive how they like regardless of the
environment.
In a sign that policy makers need to do more to change Britain’s driving habits, the report also revealed the majority (74 per cent) of motorists said they would buy an environmentally-friendly car if tax incentives were better, while a significant minority (16 per cent) said they would not change their behaviour until they were made to.
Cars are becoming more fuel efficient, while the range of hybrid and electric vehicles available to motorists is increasing all the time. However, the RAC report suggests motorists are not yet convinced about greener cars, something that has to change if the UK is to meet its 2020 target on cutting
carbon emissions.
The Government has to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 34 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.
Road transport is one of the main causes of GHG emissions in the UK, accounting for more than 20 per cent of cent of total emissions.
The RAC report surveyed 1,1500 British motorists. It found that in 2010, less than 25 per cent of drivers care about green issues and the environment compared to 51 per cent in 2007. A third of drivers, meanwhile, said they believed nothing they did would make a difference to the environment while 35 per cent said they were not sure it would.
It found that while 87 per cent of motorists had heard of electric vehicles, 28 per cent didn’t know enough about the
technology to say whether they are a viable option or not.
Electric vehicles
The main obstacle to the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), according to the report was the current driving range. All EVs, with the exception of the Tesla, have a driving range of less than 100 miles, yet 65 per cent of motorists surveyed, said they would want an electric vehicle to travel over 200 miles on a single charge before considering purchasing one.
The second biggest obstacle was cost. More than a third of motorists said they would consider buying an electric vehicle if it were cheaper to buy, while 18 per cent would consider them if there were better tax incentives.
Electric vehicles pay no road tax or the London Congestion Charge, however, it is not clear yet what, if any, new incentives the current Government will adopt. The previous Government would have given motorists buying an electric car a grant of £5,000 towards the purchase from next year.
Earlier this week, the UK watchdog the Committee on Climate Change recommended that the current level of around 2000 electric cars on Britain’s road needed to rise to one and half million by 2020 to help meet 2020 targets on CO2 emissions.
The RAC said it wanted to see more information made publicly available on the running costs and capabilities of electric vehicles and for the Government to consider making charging points compulsory in all new building regulations.
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