Electric cars are not attractive for most people in DK

The costs have to go down, there have to be more available charging points and, we do not feel an electric car is right for long trips, it has to be able to drive longer on a charge before we are ready to invest in an electric vehicle. That is the conclusion of a new population survey from IDA.

In the survey, 2,000 Danes answered how likely they would choose an electric car if they needed to buy a new car. Only 13 per cent answer that they would buy an electric one. Participants point out that crucial barriers such as price, lack of charging points, and battery life mean they do not see the electric car as an obvious choice.

"A transformation of the Danish transport sector is necessary to reduce our climate impact, and electric cars must contribute as part of the solution. We need to make it attractive for people to embrace electric vehicles when they need to buy a new car. Therefore, it is also urgent that politicians speed up measures to make it easier and cheaper to choose an electric car," says Thomas Damkjær Petersen, IDA’s chairman.

Just over 2 out of 3 participants mention that electric cars are still too expensive, and while we have plenty of climate action plans for other sectors such as waste and energy, the recommendations of the Danish Automobile Commission are not yet but almost ready. The objective of the Commission is to present suggestions on how the green reorganization of the Danish motor parc should take place. The Commission is also looking at a new tax approach.

"We are going to have to look at some form of tax exemption so that an electric vehicle becomes a more natural option for people. I would also like to see a tax regime that will apply for the next ten years so that there is a certain degree of certainty for buyers and sellers about taxes on all types of cars. If electric autos are to be free of charges, then politicians must find another way to find the revenue that petrol and diesel car taxation brings in every year", says Thomas Damkjær Petersen.

According to calculations from IDA, Denmark should ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars as early as 2022 if the transport sector is supposed to contribute sufficiently to a CO2 reduction of 70 per cent by 2030, as stated in the climate law adopted by the Danish parliament last year.

Imagine that you need a new auto. How likely would it be that you would choose an electric car?

How would you rate the following statement as a barrier when buying an electric car: They are too expensive.