A new report from Autotrader has laid bare the wealth divide when it comes to UK motorists.
13:55, 14 Jan 2026
UK households without driveways on less than £40,000 a year face being victims of a "two-tier" system when it comes to giving up petrol and diesel, it has been warned. A new report from Autotrader has laid bare the wealth divide when it comes to UK motorists.
Autotrader has found 48 per cent of households earning under £40,000 per annum would consider an EV for their next car purchase. The report found over 80 per cent of those earning above this threshold would consider an electric car.
But, tellingly, the survey also found that 70 per cent of lower-income households have a driveway, which is often seen as a barrier to giving up traditional combustible engines like petrol and diesel.
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It means 30 per cent of lower-income households don't. And these people are at risk, because it is feared households without driveways will have to rely on public chargepoints if they switch from traditional powertrains to EVs.
This is down to a lack of on-street chargepoints and charging being readily available in the UK, which campaigners have been pushing the Labour Party government to act on.
Autotrader has also stated that home charging is "not the clear-cut indicator of electric consideration – or likelihood to buy – as previously thought".
But it remains a fear for EV motorists, because public charging is so much more expensive than topping up batteries on driveways.
Ian Plummer, Autotrader's chief customer officer, said: "We're at a pivotal moment for the UK's EV transition – but there is still a lingering wealth divide.
"This new data also busts the myth that those who can charge at home will definitely switch – the driveway divide is no longer so clear-cut.
"If lower-income households can't access affordable vehicles, we risk creating a two-tier system where the benefits of cleaner, cheaper motoring accrue to those already better off."
Issuing a warning to the Labour Party government, Ian said: "The path forward is clear: more choice at lower price points, greater transparency on battery health metrics, and practical charging solutions for people without driveways.
"Do that, and we unlock EVs for everyone – not just the few."