97% of Irish Hybrid drivers will continue to buy Hybrid

and not switch to Electric Vehicles

With the exceptional sales of Hybrid vehicles announced by Toyota earlier this year (a 140% increase in 2016 and Hybrid now accounting for 13% of Toyota total sales), it comes as no surprise to see the huge levels of customer satisfaction confirmed in a recent survey undertaken by Toyota Ireland.

Key Findings

97% of Hybrid drivers will continue to choose Hybrid
70% of Hybrid drivers have not considered driving an electric vehicle
44% would not consider driving an electric vehicle due to having to charge it for long periods and 41% due to limited range of EV’s
54% would choose a Plug in Hybrid vehicle given the option of a diesel, plug in hybrid or pure electric vehicle

Hybrid Loyalty

In a survey carried out online among 350 Toyota Hybrid drivers, a phenomenal 97% stated they would choose Hybrid again for their next vehicle. 70% of those surveyed would not consider driving a pure electric vehicle while 30% may consider it.

Many reasons were given for not choosing a pure electric vehicle including the inconvenience of having to charge it for long periods of time (44%), the limited range available with electric vehicles (41%), meaning that it often can’t be used for long journeys without stopping to charge, and lastly, a lack of understanding of the technology in an electric vehicle (16%).

Alternative options

Respondents were asked whether, if necessary, they would change from a Hybrid vehicle to a diesel engine, a plug in Hybrid or a pure electric vehicle? The results remained in favour of Hybrid with 54% choosing a plug in version, 28% choosing a diesel engine and just 19% opting for a pure electric vehicle.

Commenting on the results, Michael Gaynor, Marketing Director said,

“There is a misconception that hybrid drivers will automatically switch to electric vehicles, however, this research clearly shows that hybrid drivers recognise the benefits of low emissions driving that a Hybrid vehicle provides (as was demonstrated in a recent study by the University of Rome) without the inconvenience of driving an electric vehicle.

Until EV’s can travel much greater distances without having to re-charge for long periods of time, they will have limited appeal within the Irish market, especially in rural Ireland. We are not surprised by the results of the findings as we know that our customers love their hybrid vehicles”.