EV Driver Survey
Report 2023
Our annual EV Driver Survey offers unrivalled insight into the shifting attitudes of EV drivers across Europe. Uncover the top trends and opportunities impacting the EV ownership and charging experience - based on the views of 25,000 EV drivers in the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.
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Watch on-demand: Charging forward in the electric journey (2023 EV Driver Survey results and analysis)
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The dawn of a new electric era
Despite conducting the research in the first two months of 2023, a remarkable 1,384 respondents acquired their EV within that period. Our data also shows that once drivers make the transition to electric, they do not intend to turn back. In 2022, only 2% of EV drivers expected their next vehicle to be petrol- or diesel-powered. Read on to learn how driver perception has shifted over the last year.
42%
of respondents have purchased their EV within around a year of the survey.
The pace of adoption is accelerating
While the rate of consumers adopting EVs has accelerated over the last decade, it is still impressive to note how new most consumers in this market are.
50%
2023
60%
2022
A shift in the perception of range in EV adoption
The number of respondents who highlighted range anxiety as a top-three barrier to EV adoption went down from 60% in 2022.
47%
of respondents say that they do not need to charge daily.
An emerging sense of range confidence
Drivers are also becoming more relaxed about when their EVs are charged - suggesting that they are becoming more trusting of their EVs capabilities.
EV driver demands are becoming clear
The growing ecosystem around charging has led to an emerging challenge. With multiple charging service providers rolling out public charging in more areas and introducing smarter back-end technology that simplifies billing, consumers are increasingly faced with a complex mix of applications and cards in order to access the most value from these services.
4+
31%
2022
23%
2023
Multiple charge card usage is improving – but still remains high
The likelihood of having a wallet full of different cards is slowly starting to decline: the number of respondents who own 4+ cards is down 8%.
23%
4+
13%
6+
Multiple app usage is also common
23% of respondents are installing more than four applications to manage and make the most of their EV, while 13% of users use six or more.
47%
of respondents are willing to pay slightly more for a single method of access to charge points.
Drivers are seeking greater simplicity
Whilst our research shows that price is a leading factor for attracting users to charge cards, convenience and experience also play a key role.
Untapped opportunities
While refuelling requires a degree of centralisation, charging can be made available, in principle, anywhere. This change will become a catalyst for increased public-charging demand and will offer businesses with parking infrastructure the opportunity to attract new business by collaborating with charging infrastructure partners.
44%
2023
33%
2022
Home charging is not universal
44% of the EV drivers in our survey this year said they do not have a charge point installed at home - up 11% from last year.
57%
All
59%
71%
52%
67%
46%
74%
Charge points win customers
57% of drivers said they would visit destinations more frequently if they had charge points.
"Shell data indicates that EV drivers are willing to spend an hour or more at supermarkets whilst they charge."
Destinations can attract more customers, and for longer
Destinations such as supermarkets with charge points can also benefit from longer dwell times, increased basket sizes, and higher revenue for retailers.
Download past EV Driver Survey editions
Interested in viewing previous versions of this report? Access reports from previous years below:
Data source: EV Driver Survey 2023, Shell Recharge