A survey of more than 1,600 Renault EV owners in the UK found that vehicle design was the top reason buyers chose an electric car, cited by 64% of respondents — compared with just 8% who pointed to environmental reasons. Renault UK said the findings point to a new phase of EV adoption driven by desire rather than duty, with the appeal of the car itself and lower-than-expected running costs now leading purchase decisions. Among owners of the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, the brand’s best-selling EV, the share citing design rose to 71%.
Highlights
- Design was the most-cited reason for choosing an electric Renault at 64%, rising to 71% among Renault 5 E-Tech electric owners.
- 66% said their Renault was cheaper to run than expected, and 60% found it easier to live with day-to-day than expected.
- 96% would recommend an EV to others, while only 9% would consider returning to a gasoline or diesel car.
- 57% cited the cost of public charging as a key challenge, and 89% described public charging as expensive.
Design Leads the Decision
Design ranked ahead of every other factor in owners’ decisions, the company reports, with nearly two-thirds pointing to it as their primary reason for choosing an electric Renault. Owners described their cars in terms of appearance and character, with one Renault 5 E-Tech electric owner saying it was the first car they had owned that drew admiring looks from passers-by.
Renault says the results support its strategy of building electric cars designed to appeal as products in their own right, regardless of how they are powered. That approach has centered on reinventing recognizable nameplates as electric models, including the Renault 5 E-Tech electric and Renault 4 E-Tech electric, with the Scenic E-Tech electric and Megane E-Tech electric aimed at families and the forthcoming Twingo E-Tech electric targeting the city-car segment.
Cost and the Electric Car Grant
Price and affordability ranked as the second-most important factor, which Renault links to its effort to lower the cost of several popular models. The company says the entire Renault EV range qualifies for the UK government’s Electric Car Grant, with the Renault 4, Renault 5 and Scenic eligible for the maximum saving of $4,960 (£3,750).
A New Group of EV Buyers
The survey suggests Renault is reaching beyond established EV adopters, with most respondents (69%) buying an electric car for the first time. Among those owners, 66% said their Renault was cheaper to run than expected and 60% found it easier to live with day-to-day than they had anticipated.
Range concerns also faded after purchase, according to the company, with 92% saying they felt confident in their car’s range on typical journeys. That figure was higher among owners of the Scenic E-Tech electric, which Renault lists with a peak range of 381 miles on the WLTP cycle; only 6% of those owners reported any range concerns. Overall, 96% said they would recommend an EV to others, and just 9% said they would consider going back to a gasoline or diesel car.
What Frustrates EV Owners Most?
When asked about the biggest challenges of ownership, most owners pointed to the public charging network rather than the cars themselves. More than half (57%) cited the cost of public charging, followed by charging availability at 40%, including difficulties for owners without driveway parking. Almost nine in ten (89%) described public charging as expensive, and several owners cited out-of-service chargers and high costs as the main drawbacks of ownership.
Around half of respondents also said media coverage of electric cars did not match their own experience of owning one.
Adam Wood, Managing Director, Renault UK, said: “Renault’s EV sales have risen dramatically in the past 18 months, driven by a range of award-winning vehicles that deliver both head and heart appeal, encouraging customers to make the switch and making them EV advocates once they have lived with the cars.
“The responses show that the next wave of EV adoption will be driven by making cars that people genuinely want. That’s why Renault has focused on developing cars with personality and charm, then made them accessible and affordable. They are cars bought for what they are, not simply what powers them. And the strongest proof of that is the owners themselves: the people who chose Renault EVs because they wanted them, are now proving just how well they work in the real world.”
The survey drew 1,646 responses from a pool of 16,000 Renault EV owners and MyRenault account holders, a response rate of about 10%.
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