Taking in to account that electric vehicle models available in the market are relatively scarce, Europeans seem to know fairly well their general characteristics and how they work. Despite their high price, the positive features of these vehicles are appreciated by a significant number of drivers who will be willing to buy an electric vehicle.

These are some of the main findings of a survey on the attitude of European car drivers towards electric vehicles carried out by the Joint Research Centre, where drivers from six member states were questioned about their driving habits and were asked to complete an on-line questionnaire. The set of countries where the survey was carried out - Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain and Poland; represented approximately 75% of total sales of electric vehicles for passengers in 2011.

The results from the study show that electric vehicles fit into the main habits of European drivers. The average distance covered every day by these drivers, for example, lays between between 40 and 80 kilometres, which can be easily covered with an electric car. In addition, cars are parked on average 16 hours a day, leaving enough time for recharge. According to the study, most part of the drivers do not make a higher use of their cars during weekends, and therefore an electric car could also meet their needs.

The Joint Research Centre survey also analyses the attitude of drivers towards this kind of vehicles, concluding that in the six surveyed countries drivers know well enough their benefits, such as noise-reduction or zero emission. However, it is still necessary to improve some of the pre-requirements that most drivers demand such an affordable price and a wider range of options available in the market. Moreover, a significant number of drivers are not yet familiar with some technical aspects such as the duration and cost of recharge, showing demonstration activities are still necessary in order to raise awareness about mobility with electric vehicles.