British drivers have shared the top questions they have about making the switch to an electric vehicle – such as “how long does an EV take to charge?” (40%), and “do all EVs use the same charger?” (23%).

Other common queries about EV ownership include 26% wondering whether insurance costs more for EVs, while 30% want to know how much range an EV would really need – and four in ten wonder, “do EV batteries last long?”.

As a result of these uncertainties, more than a fifth (22%), of 2,000 motorists polled, believe the government should be investing more money in educating as many people as possible about electric vehicles.

And three-quarters feel that consumer grants from the government would also go a long way to encouraging people to make the switch to electric.

It comes as 63% say the biggest stumbling block to them purchasing an electric car is the cost – with six in ten saying they would be more inclined to go electric if the vehicles were cheaper.

As it stands, 85% of drivers still do not own an EV – and just 15% of those say they are “likely” to do so within the next 12 months.

Despite this, almost half of those polled (45%) support the government's pledge that all new cars and vans will be required to be “fully zero emission at the tailpipe” by 2035.

However, just 21% of all adults think the strategy will be successful – as over half (55%) don’t think the promise will be fulfilled, and 25% are on the fence.

The research comes after Fiat launched its own electric car grant, Fiat E-Grant, offering £3,000 towards the all-electric 500e and 500e convertible.

Damien Dally, Fiat UK managing director, said: “EV ownership has increased significantly over the last decade – however, demand is starting to plateau, and there is still apprehension among those who’ve yet to go electric.

“Our study shows cost is the biggest stumbling block for consumers, which won’t have been helped by the government Plug-in Car Grant ending 12 months ago.

“We are committed to helping people make the switch, which is why we launched our own grant.’’

The study also identified other areas consumers feel require investment from the government in relation to EVs – including charging infrastructure (59%), battery plants in the UK (45%), and tax subsidies (38%).

And while 85% of car owners polled are yet to make the switch – possibly with questions like these in the back of their minds – those who have gone electric appear to have no regrets.

The study found 81% of those who have made the switch consider their decision to be “one of the best” they’ve made.

Damien Dally added: “The research suggests petrol and diesel vehicle users are keen to make the switch to EVs, but there is still plenty of uncertainty.

“This underlines why it’s important to incentivise people to make the switch, while educating them on the benefits of going electric.”