Trends in online searches show increasing demand for Electric vehicles and charging facilities throughout 2020.
Demand for electric vehicles and EV charging facilities set new records in 2020 according to research released by specialist Tesla online valuation website ‘We Love Tesla’.
Using Google data, the research identified an increase in the number of drivers searching for EV charging facilities whilst on the move. Local searches for ‘Electric Chargers Near Me’ increased by 2,850% between January 2020 and January 2021, with this set to grow as more road users opt for electric vehicles.
Consumers and businesses also seem to be considering making their premises more EV-friendly, with a 350% increase in searches for EV charging installations made during the same period, and a 250% increase for homeowners searching for EV charging at home.
Chris Davies, Founder of ‘We Love Tesla’ commented that “Brands such as Tesla were formed with the intention to show people that they do not need to compromise to drive electric, and that electric cars can be more sustainable, economical and fun to drive. I sense that consumers are starting to catch on, which is why the second-hand market for EVs, and the popularity of the Tesla model 3 is on the rise. This is due to both the Tesla Model 3 being able to retain two-thirds of its original worth after three years, as well as software on EVs being regularly updated, which allows them to remain current, unlike the standard, more traditional vehicles.”
Although Tesla is a market leader among the EV world, the industry is not dominated solely by them. In-fact, it is shown that consumers are also searching more actively for different models of EV, including the Nio 7-seater SUV (up 300%), Volvo’s Polestar 2 (up 850%), and Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range (up 450%). This is another indication that there are different types of consumers looking to make the move to electric, from large families and young millennials, to businesspeople and corporates.
It appears that more businesses are looking to support their employees with electric cars, with an increase in search for salary sacrifice schemes (up 550%) in 2020. Alongside searches for ‘electric cars 2021 UK’, and ‘upcoming electric cars’ up 1,450% and 200% respectively, the data used for this research suggests that over the next 12 months we will continue to see a rise in the amount of consumers considering making the switch to EV.
