Survey finds two thirds of vehicle owners in UAE and Saudi Arabia are eager to know about EV adoption

In a survey conducted by Morning Consult, commissioned by General Motors Africa & Middle East, it was revealed that two thirds of vehicle owners in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are eager to explore the benefits of EV adoption. The survey looked to examine the awareness and attitude of the people in the region towards EV infrastructure development.

With 69% of adults in KSA and 73% of adults in UAE finding the long-term affordability of EVs to be desirable, the survey also revealed that people are keen towards EV adoption. In addition, the survey showed a very high level of general awareness of electric vehicles, with 95% of respondents in the UAE and 93% in the KSA reporting knowledge of fully electric vehicles. In both of the countries surveyed, awareness of EVs is also consistently high across all age categories and among men and women.

UAE’s mission of becoming carbon neutral seems to be reaping rewards with one-third (38%) of respondents aware of the location of at least one convenient charging station. A convenient charging station is available where people park their cars at home, according to four out of five people (80%), with the highest availability being in shared or public parking.

The key finding according to us is the fact that 64% respondents in the UAE and 65% in Saudi Arabia are more likely to consider an EV in comparison to a year ago. This is due to the rising gasoline prices. In fact, 47% of the KSA participants felt that, with petrol costs rising sharply, EV options have become more reasonably priced during the previous year.

Range anxiety seems to be lowering as times have passed with UAE and KSA participants saying that the ideal driving range of an EV is approximately 325 km and 360 km on average respectively.

Jack Uppal, President & Managing Director, General Motors Africa & Middle East commented on the survey and said: “It is promising to see the rising positive sentiment towards EVs brought to light by this Morning Consult survey. As we progress towards our vision of the future of mobility, the increase in volume and variety of EV options we are anticipating to bring to market, will respond to the shift in consumer awareness and consideration brought on by the long-term benefits of ownership – from apprehension around affordability and range, towards positive sentiment towards the ownership potential of these new technologies.”