Petrol-Station Anxiety Among Gen Z: Could EVs Offer a Calmer Option?

A recent survey revealed that a staggering 62% of drivers aged 18–24 in the UK experience “refuel anxiety”, nearly doubling the 39% average among all drivers.

Young people worry about parking precisely at the pump, choosing the correct fuel, using the nozzle, hygiene complications, and the embarrassment of making mistakes in public. Alarmingly, half admit they let their tanks run dangerously low, and a quarter have run out of petrol completely resulting in many relying on loved ones to fill up for them.

So, what’s driving this anxiety?

It's not just financial stress. According to motoring experts, it stems from a lack of confidence, social pressure, and fear of public error.

Enter EVs: A Route to Confidence and Convenience

1. Home Charging: A private and predictable routine

With EVs, refueling moves from public stations to private garages or driveways. Drivers can simply plug in overnight with no hygiene worries and no pairing of social discomfort with a mundane task.

2. Rapid Normalisation of "Range Anxiety"

Yes, EVs have brought their own form of worry: range anxiety (fear of running out of battery) and charging anxiety (concerns about charger reliability). But these fears shrink quickly with experience with less EV users reporting their fear that they’ll run out of charge. As charging networks grow, these anxieties further diminish, making electric vehicle charging the new normal.

3. Rapid Expansion of Charging Infrastructure

The real-world numbers speak volumes: as of April 2025, there were 76,507 public electric vehicle charging devices installed in the UK, which is a 28% increase since April 2024. (GOV.UK). Alongside this, as infrastructure expands, it’s becoming increasingly more affordable to have at-home chargers installed, negating the need to charge publicly either; this is especially relevant for daily commuting and general day-to-day driving.

4. Reliability Boosts Confidence

The uncertainty around broken or inaccessible chargers remains a concern. However, initiatives like Tesla’s dependable network, reliability-focused infrastructure improvements, and regulatory mandates are enhancing trustworthiness.

5. The Psychological Shift: From Novel Anxiety to Routine Confidence

Most EV drivers report that once they settle into the habit of charging regularly at home, the stress around fueling disappears.

Could EVs Help Ease Gen Z’s Refuel Anxiety?

Here’s a few reasons why:

·         Home charging removes the social pressure and potential embarrassment tied to public stations.

·         EV users often acclimate quickly as technical improvements and familiarity tame early concerns.

·         The expansion of reliable, accessible, and safe public charging points is closing the gap between EVs and traditional fueling methods.

·         Young adults seem inclined toward modes of mobility that respect privacy and reduce public performance pressures.

EV Anxieties do, however, remain.

Drivers sometimes worry if chargers will work or if payments will go through smoothly, which can cause unnecessary stress. This paired with the feeling that safety and accessibility are not equal for all. For example, women, often cite concerns over poorly lit or isolated charging sites. Safety platforms like ChargeSafe are addressing these gaps, but more inclusive design is needed. Alongside this, rural limitations remain: in less urban environments, sparse infrastructure may still limit overall confidence.

To conclude, for Gen Z drivers grappling with refuel anxiety, EVs offer a smoother, more confident alternative. The path from petrol pumps to home chargers isn’t just technological, it’s psychological. The shift reduces public scrutiny, simplifies routines, and empowers autonomy. With continued improvements in charging access and security, EVs may not only be a greener choice, they may be a gentler path toward driving confidence.

If you’re thinking of making the switch, view our used EV stock and book your test drive to see how easy going electric can be.