UK car dealers claim a majority of their customers are already open to the idea of buying electric vehicles (EVs).

That’s according to a new survey by Motor Trader and British Gas, which found 32.9% of dealers believe customers would buy an EV and a further 30.8% said they would if customers had more information.

When asked what would prompt customers to buy an EV over a petrol alternative, 61.6% of dealers said cheaper running costs was the most important and 41.8% said customers would choose it for environmental benefits.

The survey also found EVs could account for 5% of the new car market by 2015 and grow to between 6-20% by 2020.

The news follows reports earlier this year which claimed there are more charging points in the country than electric cars.

Dan Taylor, Director of new ventures at British Gas said: “It’s encouraging to see two-thirds of dealers believe customers are receptive to buying an EV.

“People do have a massive issue with the rise in petrol and diesel prices over the last couple of years.”

The UK currently has 2,500 EVs on the road, with around 1.7million expected by 2019.