Electrifying stuff: 61% of UK motorists considering bringing forward EV purchase ahead of 2026 Autumn Budget

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Younger drivers are the most open to dropping internal combustion in favour of electric.

GE

George East

22 October 2026 · 2 min read

Almost two-thirds of UK drivers could bring forward their purchase of an EV if the UK Chancellor announces more incentives during next week’s Autumn Budget, says road safety technology firm OOONO.

The company surveyed 1,500 drivers, 61% of whom said they would consider buying an electric car ahead of schedule if the UK Government introduces additional financial incentives such as the Electric Car Grant (ECG) for EVs priced under £37,000.

When asked what amount of Government financial incentive would encourage them to switch sooner, respondents said the sum they would consider was between £1,001 and £2,000.

Of those asked, 21% of motorists said they would speed up their EV purchase if new incentives were announced, while 40% said they possibly would. Another 11% are already planning to buy an EV.

Younger motorists were the group most receptive to any new potential incentives: 29% of drivers aged between 18 and 34 said they would accelerate their switch to electric. Meanwhile, only 10% of those aged 65 or over said they would drop internal combustion.

When it comes to financial implications, OOONO’s findings also showed that drivers are looking beyond the initial purchase cost of an EV.

Cheaper public charging costs were the biggest issue drivers would like to see addressed in the budget. The upfront cost of buying a brand-new EV is another obstacle: 46% of participants stated that high purchase prices would prevent them from dropping internal combustion in favour of electric, and 41% stated that public infrastructure would be a problem.

The 2026 Autumn Budget will be held next Wednesday, on October 28. It will be the first to be announced by new Labour Chancellor, John Healey, since Andy Burnham took over as UK Prime Minister from Sir Keir Starmer in July this year.

Under Starmer, the Government introduced the £650 million ECG scheme, which will run until 2030, along with an additional £200 million to expand the UK’s public EV charging network.