The price of low carbon cars is more off-putting than range, claims a new survey. Just 52 per cent of people polled by TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk said they would be more likely to buy a hybrid models than a full electric vehicle (EV), if they were similarly priced.

Hybrid cars use an electric motor and switch to a combustion engine to increase the length of driving time between battery charges. They have been styled by some in the industry as a step between purely petrol-powered cars and EVs. The green car guide’s research suggests that the need for hybrid as a stop gap between the two is hyped up.

Faye Sunderland, the site’s editor said that while full EVs and hybrid type cars are too expensive for many, “our research suggests that it is indeed price, and not range, which will delay the uptake of these type of vehicles.”

She added: “As prices come down with increased production, we could see motorists making sensible decisions based on their driving needs rather than an irrational fear of electric cars.”