AA UK EV Readiness Index jumps dramatically
The latest AA UK EV Readiness Index has recorded a sharp rise from the first quarter to the second.
The index was 53.8 in March but has now climbed to 58.8.
The increase was driven largely by the widening cost gap between petrol and home charging, with the Index finding that electric vehicle running costs were 67% cheaper per mile than petrol equivalents in the second quarter, meaning savings of £20 for every 200 miles driven.
It found that range anxiety has been replaced by pump anxiety, with fuel prices driving a 78% increase in searches for used electric vehicles on AA Car from the first to second quarters of 2026.
Pump anxiety
Edmund King, AA president, said: “Range anxiety has shifted to pump anxiety as global petrol and diesel prices have rocketed since the Iran conflict began. For years, some drivers have been put off EVs by real or perceived range anxiety. But this latest Index suggests the bigger concern for many households is becoming pump anxiety. When global fuel prices rise sharply, drivers feel it immediately at the forecourt.
“EV drivers, particularly those with access to home charging, have been better insulated from that volatility. That is now showing up in the used car market, where searches for electric vehicles on AA Cars have risen by more than 75% in the last three months.
“Not every driver is yet ready to switch tomorrow. Upfront costs, public charging prices, and policy uncertainty still matter. But the economics of EV ownership are becoming harder to ignore particularly for those who can charge at home.”
