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When it comes to choosing the fuel type for their next car, one in two buyers expect to purchase an EV or hybrid, with women buyers more likely to make the shift than ever before, according to new research by eBay Motors Group.

The study of 2,000 car buyers found EV ownership is currently heavily weighted towards men, accounting for over six in 10 vehicles. However, in the next buying cycle the share of women owning EVs will jump from 38% to 43%.

A similar trend is expected with hybrids, covering both plug-ins and self-charging models, where male ownership will drop from 60% to 55%, as female ownership grows from 39% to 45%.

The research also identified changing demographics by age, with older buyers now more likely to buy an EV than before.

Currently over half (55%) of EVs are owned by under-35s and 22% by over-45s. In the next buying cycle under-35s will drop to 42%, while over-45s will significantly increase to 37%.

Changing geographical factors have also been identified by the study which shows London currently accounting for most EV ownership (38%), although this will drop to just 19% as other parts of the UK increase their penetration.

“The transition to EV and hybrid ownership is evolving at a fast pace with our research showing a clear shift to a gender split more aligned to the wider car buying public,” said Lucy Tugby, Marketing Director of eBay Motors Group.

“For showroom sales teams this means thinking beyond the stereotypes of the early adopters and seizing the opportunity to open up conversations with female customers and older buyers.

“We know from previous Consumer Insight Panel research* that buyers over 45 are more likely to factor in the long-term environmental impact of the cars they purchase than younger buyers, we identified this at the time as the emergence of a ‘grandparent effect’ and we can now see this taking shape as they increasingly consider EVs for their next cars.

“Dealers outside London, where the low emission zone helped kickstart EV sales, will also be encouraged by a more even distribution of demand, especially with the rollout of clean air zones in many cities across the UK,” said Tugby.