Survey reveals 84% of Northern Ireland drivers are against ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars

A new survey by CompareNI.com has found that 84% of drivers in Northern Ireland are against plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Ahead of government plans to scrap the selling of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, CompareNI.com asked people in Northern Ireland how they feel about electric vehicles.

The large majority of those surveyed, 96%, thought that electric vehicles were too expensive. As of March 2023, the average price of a brand-new electric car in the UK is £49,111. In comparison the average cost of a brand new petrol car in the UK in 2023 is £39,038.

The survey also found that more than four in five people (85%) thought that the UK government's plan to ban sales of new full petrol and diesel cars after 2030 was too soon and 84% thought the government shouldn’t ban sales of these cars at all.

The survey also revealed that 73% of drivers in Northern Ireland felt that the range of current electric vehicles wasn’t good enough, with the average UK electric vehicle range in 2023 just 219 miles.

In addition to this, drivers had major concerns over accessibility of charging points, with 94% stating there aren’t enough charging points currently available in Northern Ireland.

Recent government statistics show that Northern Ireland has the lowest level of charging devices in the UK, with just 19 devices per 100,000 people. Northern Ireland also had the lowest increase in charging points of anywhere in the UK from October to December 2022 with just 24. In comparison the next lowest was East Midlands with 61 and the highest was London with 593.

Ian Wilson, managing director of Northern Ireland’s largest price comparison website, CompareNI.com, said: “Our survey results show a lack of public support for the switch to electric vehicles and the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. The proposed changes are just seven years away and yet the survey shows the majority of drivers here are against the switch.

“During the current cost-of-living crisis, nobody wants to pay an average of 25% more to purchase an electric car. Pair this with the lack of available charging points in Northern Ireland compared with the rest of the UK and it’s simply not enough to encourage the public here to support these changes.

“Our survey results clearly demonstrate that there is a lot more the government needs to do to get drivers in Northern Ireland on board with the switch to electric vehicles by 2030.”