Al-Futtaim Automotive unveiled the findings of a survey exploring the challenges and perceptions of UAE residents towards Electric Vehicles (EV) adoption. The survey was conducted in partnership with YouGov, collating responses from 2,008 respondents
The survey revealed significant shifts in perspectives underscoring the changing landscape of transportation preferences, starting with 64% sharing that they are concerned about the environmental impact of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; a fact clearly reinforced in their strong interest to shift to electric vehicles in the coming years.
Huge wave of interest in EVs
26% of those who currently do not own an EV are interested in purchasing one in the next 12 months, while 50% said ‘maybe’ to consider shifting to an EV in the same period, signalling a growing inclination towards electric vehicles.
A staggering 63% plan to make EVs their primary mode of transport within the next 6 months to 2 years, indicating a faster move towards sustainable mobility.
The huge interest in EVs is also a measure of the strong customer confidence in the UAE’s charging infrastructure growth; 7 out of 10 residents predict that the UAE will have EV charging stations every few kilometres in the next five years.
Customers also predicted a widespread electric future in the UAE; nearly one-third of the respondents anticipate that 30–50% of the UAE's population will be driving EVs or hybrid cars by 2030.
Katib Belkhodja, customer centricity director, Al-Futtaim Automotive, commented on the survey, “Firstly, the results surpassed all our expectations. With 63% of respondents unequivocally choosing to make electric vehicles their primary mode of transportation, the results are not only overwhelmingly positive but also comprehensively reflect the evolving perceptions of the UAE customers towards electric mobility. It was very important for us at Al-Futtaim Automotive to conduct this survey, and get an accurate understanding of the customer mindset, especially against the backdrop of COP28.”
The survey also highlighted key barriers to EV adoption
Primary hurdles to EV adoption include safety concerns (49%), servicing costs (44%), lack of charging infrastructure (41%), battery longevity (41%), and resale value (32%).
Furthermore, 68% of the respondents believe that EVs are more expensive than regular fuel cars, a factor that could also discourage customers from making the shift.
EV charging is a major anxiety trigger, particularly as 44% residents cannot install a charging station at home.
Influential factors prompting the Shift to EVs
Faster charging time (54%), more charging stations (54%) advancements in battery technology (54%) and a longer driving range (52%) top the list as the crucial factors that will influence their decisions and encourage more people to switch to electric vehicles.
