Attitudes to electric cars on the rise in Finland
A recent survey conducted by the Finnish Information Centre of the Automobile Sector has predicted an increase in fully electric vehicles within the Finnish vehicle fleet, with figures expected to rise to 42% by 2025 and to 70% by 2030.
Expectations are based on a positive opinion trend towards electric vehicles coming from increased personal experience with electric cars. Whilst only approximately 44% of survey respondents said that they are prepared to transition to a fully electric car, a large majority (82%) stated they were inclined to buy a petrol hybrid car and 55% would choose a plug-in hybrid.
Factors including high petrol prices and the large average distance between major cities in Finland (100 – 500 km) are changing attitudes towards electric vehicles.
However, the average price for a fully electric vehicle is still EUR 50,000, which is deterring many households from purchasing one, as demonstrated in the 2022 car sales figures (18% share of fully electric vehicles). In addition, whilst the number of charging points is increasing, the lack of speed in deploying new ones is also affecting the lower share of sales figures.
Article published first at EURACTIV on 14 June 2023.