Renault EV owners prove electric car adoption is now driven by desire, not duty, as design and cost benefits capture buyers‘ heads and hearts

• Survey of more than 1,600 Renault EV owners points to a major shift in why drivers are choosing electric cars
• Design was the number one reason owners chose an electric Renault, cited by 64% of respondents – among Renault 5 E-Tech electric owners that figure rose to 71%
• Once behind the wheel, 66% said their Renault was cheaper to run than expected, 60% found it easier to live with and 96% would recommend an EV to others
• By contrast, only 8% of respondents cited environmental reasons
• Most respondents (69%) were first-time EV owners
• Public charging remains the biggest frustration, cited by 57%, with 89% describing it as expensive

Renault EV owners are living proof that the next phase of electric car adoption is being driven by desire, not duty, with design and cost benefits standing out for winning over their heads and hearts with the latest generation of vehicles.

In a new survey of more than 1,600 of the brand’s customers, nearly two thirds (64%) cited design as the number one reason for choosing an electric Renault – more than any other factor. Among Renault 5 E-Tech electric owners, that figure was even higher, at 71%.

“It’s the first car I’ve owned where people stop and admire the vehicle,” said one Renault 5 E-Tech electric owner. “I like my 5, it’s cool,” said another.

This supports Renault’s strategy of creating electric cars with character, charm and genuine appeal and that resonate with buyers as products in their own right, outweighing traditional concerns about how they are powered.

That approach started with the reinvention of the brand’s most recognisable and best-loved nameplates as modern electric icons, such as the fun, agile, and unmistakably characterful Renault 5 E-Tech electric and the versatile Renault 4 E-Tech electric. The Renault Scenic E-Tech electric and Renault Megane E-Tech electric reinvigorated firm family favourites for a new era, while the forthcoming Renault Twingo E-Tech electric is set to bring accessible electric motoring to a segment much of the industry has left behind.

Price and affordability were cited as the second-most important factors in owners’ decisions, validating Renault’s pursuit of product efficiencies and economies of scale that have seen it reduce the cost of some of its most popular models at a time when other manufacturers are raising them. This has been boosted by the introduction of the Government’s Electric Car Grant, with the entire Renault EV range eligible, and R4, R5 and Scenic receiving the maximum £3750 saving available.

By contrast, environmental reasons were cited by just 8% of respondents.

The results suggest a major shift in the way electric cars are being bought. For years, EV adoption has been framed around rational arguments: running costs, incentives, environmental responsibility, range, charging and regulation. Renault’s research suggests the emotional pull of the car itself plus demonstrable savings for owners in ownership costs are now the most critical factor in driving purchases.

The research also suggests Renault is reaching beyond the usual early adopters. Most respondents (69%) were first-time EV owners, showing that the brand is bringing new drivers into electric ownership rather than simply appealing to those who were already convinced.

These are not just EV evangelists swapping one electric car for another. In many cases these are buyers making the switch to EV for the first time, typically finding the experience is better than they expected.

Two-thirds (66%) of owners said their Renault was cheaper to run than expected, while 60% said it was easier to live with day-to-day than expected. Range anxiety also largely disappears once drivers actually own the cars, with 92% saying they feel confident in their EV’s range on typical journeys. That sentiment was particularly strong for Scenic E-Tech electric owners, which has a peak range of 381 miles on the WLTP test cycle, among whom only 6% expressed any concerns.

The satisfaction numbers once they’d made the switch are also striking. The vast majority (96%) said they would recommend an electric vehicle to others, while only 9% of respondents said they would consider going back to a petrol or diesel car in future.

Renault’s research suggests the hard part isn’t convincing people that EVs work. In fact, it appears Renault’s cars are capable of doing that for themselves. Instead, the important factor is to offer buyers a product they actively want, rather than compelling them into it.

If a challenge does remain, it sits firmly outside the car.

Some respondents felt a gap remains between EV ownership and perceptions of it, with around half saying media coverage does not match their experience of owning an electric car.

But when asked about the biggest challenges of ownership, most pointed to the charging network. More than half (57%) said the cost of public charging was a key challenge, followed by charging availability issues (40%), including difficulties for owners without access to driveway parking.

Almost nine-in-ten (89%) described public charging as expensive.

“Cost of public charging is a real disincentive to owning an EV,” remarked one Renault 5 E-Tech owner. “My main problem has been with public chargers which are out of service.”

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.”