The cost of electric vehicles (EVs) and a lack of charging infrastructure are holding back UK companies from switching to EVs, according to a survey of business drivers by Europcar.

The results from Europcar’s Q2 “EV barometer” of UK business drivers found that 41 per cent thought that the higher costs of these vehicles were the main barrier to their companies switching their fleets from petrol and diesel vehicles to EVs.

The survey showed that the lack of a charging network for EVs had risen slightly as a concern among UK business drivers in recent months – with a higher proportion (36 per cent) now believing that this was discouraging EV adoption than during the first quarter when the figure was 34 per cent.

The other major barriers were a lack of knowledge about EVs (21 per cent) and then a shortage of models and vehicle availability (20 per cent).

Tom Middleditch, head of electric mobility at Europcar, said: “It seems that the lack of charging infrastructure is still holding back a significant proportion of businesses, perhaps concerned about downtime and inefficiency during business hours.

“However, the UK’s public charge point network has grown by 49 per cent in the past 12 months and is set to grow even quicker over the next year. “

Middleditch added the increasing use of EVs by both leisure and business drivers should help to “boost confidence and understanding for drivers and those responsible for fleet decision-making”.

The adoption of EVs has lost momentum within corporate travel over the past year, with Hertz selling one-third of its total EV fleet as demand failed to meet previous expectations, and Sixt admitting that it had seen a “significant deterioration in market conditions for e-mobility” earlier this year.