Hybrid the next popular choice after petrol

While petrol remains the most popular fuel choice with over half (52%) of consumers considering their next car, hybrid comes second with 22% of buyers, pushing diesel into third place with 16% of buyers.

That’s according to the latest Consumer Insight Panel survey from Motors.co.uk, which also identified electric as the fastest growing fuel type with 10% of consumers saying they expected to buy an EV as their next purchase, compared with just 5% when the research was last conducted in August 2018.

Although traditional fuel types continue to dominate, the study shows that consideration of petrol vehicles for future purchases has dropped from 57% nine months ago to 52% and from 19% to 16% for diesel.  At the same time, hybrid has increased from 20% to 22%.

“Our Consumer Insight Panel research shows how alternative fuels are being increasingly considered by car buyers for their next purchase,” said Dermot Kelleher, Motors.co.uk’s Head of Marketing & Business Intelligence.

“The percentage of consumers expecting to buy an alternative fuel vehicle as their next purchase has grown since last summer, with hybrid increasing the gap between it and diesel as the number two choice.  This reflects its position as a practical transitional technology, with some drivers seeing it as a viable alternative to diesel.”