Nearly a third of UK business travellers (31 per cent) have
said they would like to hire an electric car to ‘try one out’ but many still
have reservations around charging and range, according to a survey.
The poll of 212 UK-based drivers who have hired a car for
business was conducted by Opinium on behalf of iCarhireinsurance.com, a
provider of car hire excess insurance. A total of 1,000 people responded to the
poll.
Among those who said they would like to hire an electric
car, 43 per cent said they are most worried about the availability of charging
points, while 35 per cent remain concerned about the driving range of electric
vehicles on the market today.
Cost remains an issue for some business travellers, with 28
per cent of those polled saying they would not hire an electric car if it is
more expensive than a petrol or diesel vehicle. Only 13 per cent said they
would be willing to pay more.
Thirty per cent of respondents said they would like to hire
an electric car to “do their bit” for the environment.
An overall openness to the new technology was evident in the
survey results, with only one in eight respondents saying they would not hire
an electric vehicle.
Commenting on the findings, Ernesto Suarez, founder and CEO
of iCarhireinsurance.com, said: “Hiring an electric car for business could be a
good option for some. Whilst there are concerns about charging points and
driving range, savings can be made on fuel costs and most rental companies don’t
expect you to re-charge before returning the car. Electric vehicles are also
often exempt from charges in low emission zones in cities and it can be cheaper
or even free to park in many places. As the rental companies expand their range
of electric vehicles, they will become an increasingly viable solution for
business travellers.”
Many car rental companies are investing in electric cars as
part of fleet renewal programmes, including Hertz, which recently signed an
agreement to buy 100,000 Tesla cars, and Europcar, which added electric and
hybrid vehicles to its UK fleet earlier this year.