The proportion of British electric vehicle (EV) drivers opting for pure battery power over plug-in hybrids is far greater than in mainland Europe, a survey has found.

Charge point firm NewMotion spoke to 7,000 EV drivers across Europe and found that 84% of British respondents had opted for a pure EV, compared with 67% of their counterparts on the rest of the continent.

A NewMotion spokesperson said: “This preference for fully electric reflects the UK’s confidence in the future of EVs, alongside the government’s commitment to investing in sustainable transport and EV infrastructure nationally.”

The survey also found that different pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars were most popular in the UK compared with mainland Europe.

In the UK, the most popular EV was the Nissan Leaf, driven by 28% of respondents.

This was ahead of the Tesla Model S with 25%, the BMW i3 with 11%, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with 7% and the Renault Zoe, also with 7%.

In Europe, the same five cars came out on top, but in a different order, with the Zoe leading the way with 15%, followed by the Model S with 14%, the Outlander PHEV with 10%, the Leaf with 8% and the i3 with 7%.