SOARING fuel prices have caused motorists to consider making a switch to electric vehicles, according to a poll carried out by the Motor Ombudsman.

The cost of filling up an average family car with a 55-litre fuel tank recently hit £100 for the first time, whilst the price of petrol has equally surpassed £8-a-gallon, a figure never seen before in the UK.

The findings come as the Government announced it was scrapping its plug-in car grant scheme which gave drivers a discount of up to £1,500 off the cost of some new electric vehicles.

The recent Motor Ombudsman survey of more than 2,000 UK car owners revealed that individuals aged between 16 to 24 (64 per cent), and those living in Greater London (65 peer cent) are amongst the most worried about petrol or diesel vehicles.

The study also found that nationally a similar proportion of male and female drivers (46 per cent and 49 per cent respectively) are apprehensive about owning a petrol or diesel vehicle at a time of rocketing prices on the nation's forecourts.

The Motor Ombudsman research showed that, out of those respondents who stated they were worried about owning a car running solely on conventional fuel, and favoured a move to plugging in when buying their next vehicle, a quarter of male drivers estimated that they would be purchasing an electric car within two to three months.

The so-called Generation Z - those individuals falling into the 16 to 24 category - also led the charge in terms of being the fastest to make the swap to electric out of any other age group, with 33 per cent stating that a change could be on the cards within eight to twelve weeks.

When looking at the results from a national perspective, the study found that the city of Leeds had the biggest proportion of people (27 per cent) who wished to leave pure petrol or diesel power behind within a two-to-three-month period.

Similarly, around a fifth of those living in London and Manchester said that they would consider getting behind the wheel of an electric vehicle within four to six months.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of the Motor Ombudsman, said: "With fuel costs at unprecedented levels, and the likelihood of further increases coming, as we approach the height of summer, it is clear from our survey findings that the prospect of electric vehicle ownership is becoming increasingly attractive."