Half of Brits Suffer From Green Guilt, Reveals New Study From Kia

LONDON, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of Brits (49 per cent) suffer from 'green guilt' and admit exaggerating about their green lifestyle because they feel pressure from family, friends and colleagues to be greener.

Research conducted by Kia Motors (UK) Limited, revealed that seven in 10 Brits feel pressured by family and friends to be more eco-friendly, with just over a third (34 per cent) wanting to buy an electric car next to up their green credentials.

The research revealed that a large majority of Brits (77 per cent) plan to buy an eco car in the next three years, citing climate change as the driving force to go green. Insights found:

• More than half (60 per cent) of Brits are ready to embrace the electric revolution
• Nearly a quarter (21 per cent) of Brits are looking to purchase an eco car within the next 18 months
• More than a third of Brits are encouraged to buy an eco car because they are good for the environment
• Sir David Attenborough is the most influential celebrity encouraging a greener lifestyle, beating Greta Thunberg
• Almost half of parents (46 per cent) admit their children pester them to make greener choices 
• Colleagues and social media influencers impact more than half (53 per cent) of Brits' choices when it comes to being green

The research by Kia Motors UK also looked into what holds Brits back from buying an eco car revealing there is still a lack of understanding. Top concerns include:

• Fears of running out of battery mid-journey (43 per cent)
• Not being able to find a charging point en route (40 per cent)
• Not knowing enough about eco cars in general (37 per cent)
• They take too long to charge (35 per cent)

Steve Kitson, Director of Corporate Communications at Kia Motors UK commented; "It's great to know that Brits are ready to embrace the electric revolution but it's clear there's still a lot of myth busting to be done. We now need to help consumers see how they can tackle 'green guilt' and make a positive impact on the environment by taking the leap and going green with their next car. At Kia, we've announced our plans to have 11 electric models in our line up within the next five years to ensure we are leading the way for the electric revolution."

Kia's latest electric car, the brand-new Soul EV is available for pre-order now, priced at £33,795 after PiCG with deliveries from April. Kia currently has one of the largest range of eco cars on the market, including its multi-award-winning e-Niro. For more information on Kia's eco car range, visit www.kia.com/uk/kia-eco-cars.

About the research:

Kia conducted two pieces of consumer research (During November 2019 and January 2020) with a total sample size of 3,000 UK residents aged between 16 – 60+ year olds.

Kia's top five EV facts:

1. There are more than 29,000 electric vehicle charge points across the country in over 10,000 locations – meaning there are more electric car charging points in the UK than there are petrol stations.
2. There are four main types of electric car:
• Battery electric vehicle (BEV) – drives on battery power alone, there is no need to add petrol or diesel
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) – a petrol engine combined with an electric motor and a battery. The car can travel around 35 miles on battery power alone
• Self-charging hybrid – along with a petrol or diesel engine, hybrid cars also have an electric motor that is powered by a small battery
• Mild hybrid – it has a small battery but the petrol or diesel engine does the majority of the work and the electric motor is there to provide assistance to reduce emissions.
3. Kia's electric car range including Kia's new Soul EV and award-winning e-Niro, can travel up to 282 miles on one single charge. It's Plug-In Hybrid models can travel up to 37 miles.
4. Government grants are available to support people purchasing eco cars including a £500 OLEV (EVHS) grant to help with the cost of a home charge point and a Plug in Car Grant to make it cheaper to buy a new EV.
5. You can charge a fully-electric car (such as the e-Niro) from 0% to 80% in just one hour or less.

Other findings:

The top five things Brits lie about to make themselves sound greener:

1. How much they walk (compared to other modes of transport e.g. driving)
2. How often they take clothes to a charity shop rather than throwing them away
3. Spending less time in the shower
4. How much they recycle
5. Being vegetarian/vegan

For further information on Kia please visit www.kiapressoffice.com.

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