The overwhelming majority of electric car owners are very happy with their vehicles, with nine in 10 saying they would not go back to petrol or diesel. That’s according to a new study of more than 3,000 electric vehicle (EV) drivers, which also found more than half of drivers have done journeys of more than 200 miles in their car.

The study, which was conducted by charging app Zap-Map, found more than nine in 10 electric and plug-in hybrid car drivers (91 percent) said they were “extremely happy” with their vehicle. Less than one percent of respondents said they would go back to a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle when the time comes to replace their vehicle, although eight percent said they would consider it.

And for drivers of all-electric vehicles, the satisfaction figures were even higher. Some 92 percent of respondents said they were very pleased with their electric car, compared with 84 percent of plug-in hybrid drivers. In comparison, 74 percent said they were happy with their petrol or diesel car.

Kia Niro EV (e-Niro) fast charging at IONITY

The survey also quizzed drivers about their longest trips in an electric car, with more than half (53 percent) saying they have driven more than 200 miles in a single journey in their electric car. Almost a quarter (24 percent) said they had covered more than 300 miles in one trip, while seven percent said they had covered more than 500 miles on one journey.

However, for a third (31 percent) of respondents, the longest trip was between 101 and 200 miles, while 15 percent said they had never driven more than 100 miles in their electric car. Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said the figures showed drivers were becoming more “confident” in electric cars and the charging infrastructure.

“We’ve committed £2.5bn to accelerate the rollout of zero emission vehicles and charging infrastructure across the country, ensuring the transition is as simple as possible for motorists,” she said. “"These survey results show that drivers are becoming increasingly confident in making the switch to electric vehicles and I hope this data encourages others to consider going electric as we work towards the UK's ambitious net-zero targets.”

Meanwhile Melanie Shufflebotham, the co-founder and chief operating officer at Zap-Map, said the findings showed drivers’ concerns over electric car range and charging were diminishing.

“As we move from the early adopters into mass EV adoption, the evidence in favour of electric vehicles grows more compelling every year,” she said. “We’ve seen that those who make the switch to electric simply don’t look back. It’s also clear from the distances EV drivers have travelled that concerns over range and other historical challenges of owning and running an EV are increasingly a thing of the past.”

Porsche Taycan at an IONITY fast charging station