More than half of Scots drivers would not switch to an EV, research reveals

The number of Scots who say they would not buy an electric car has reached its highest level since 2016, with more than half saying they would not consider making the switch to electric.

Research released by Transport Scotland found that 5.8% of drivers own either an electric car or van in 2024, with this total up from 4.7% the previous year.

However, the 2024 research also found that 56% of drivers would not consider buying an electric vehicle (EV) – the highest proportion since motorists were first asked the question back in 2016

The findings come just after the Scottish Government’s draft climate change plan reiterated ministers’ commitment to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Concerns about the availability and convenience of charging points was the most common reason for drivers being unwilling to switch to EVs, with this cited by 52%.

Meanwhile 50% had concerns about the cost of EVs, with 49% also worried about the distance that can be travelled on a single charge.

The findings were part of research that showed that levels of travel had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of people surveyed said they had travelled the previous day, with this total up from 64% in 2023.

Meanwhile, the average number of trips each adult made a day was up to 1.96 in 2024, compared to 1.59 the previous year, with the latest total similar to 2019, when people made an average of 1.94 trips a day.

When people did travel, over half of journeys (51%) were made by driving a car or van, with walking the next most common choice, accounting for 25% of journeys in 2024.

A further 12% of journeys were made by people as a passenger in a car or van, with 7% of trips done by bus and 2% by rail.

Almost two-thirds of people (64%) said they were very or fairly satisfied with public transport in 2024 – the same as the previous year but down from 68% recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

The increase in journeys comes as levels of homeworking fell – with 35% of people saying they worked from home in 2024, down from 29% the previous year.

However, homeworking is still more common than it was prior to Covid, with only 16% of people working from home in 2019.