Isuzu’s new research shows over half of UK EV drivers name their cars, from “Evie” to “Charge Clooney,” as the brand prepares to launch the fully electric, fully capable D-Max EV later in 2025.
Isuzu says Britain’s relationship with electric vehicles is moving from cautious adoption to something more personal, with new research suggesting more than half of EV drivers now give their cars a name.
The findings come ahead of the brand’s own upcoming electric pick-up - the D-Max EV - which opens for pre-sales later in 2025 and is positioned as a fully capable working vehicle rather than a lifestyle experiment.
According to the company’s commissioned survey of 2,000 people, 58% of EV owners feel some form of emotional connection with their vehicle, while 46% have given it a nickname.
Popular choices include “Evie”, “Herbie”, “Sparky” and “Yoda”, alongside more playful entries such as “Charge Clooney”, “Volty McVoltface” and “Jolt Travolta”.
The research also indicates that one in five people clean their EV weekly because they “take pride in it”, while 15% book more regular check-ups than they did with previous petrol or diesel vehicles.
A third say they like cars more now because they are quieter and greener, and nearly 60% would recommend an EV to friends or family.
Almost half of respondents talk to their car, and more than half admit they sometimes talk to it more than to people at home.
The D-Max EV enters a segment still taking shape
The data is being released as Isuzu prepares to introduce the D-Max EV, which the company says will be the first electric pick-up in Europe to combine a one-tonne payload, a 3.5-tonne towing rating and full-time four-wheel drive.
Those are significant claims in a market where electric pick-ups are still rare and usually positioned as leisure vehicles rather than commercial workhorses.
Technical details beyond these headline figures are expected closer to launch, but Isuzu frames the model as carrying over the diesel D-Max’s core duty cycle into a zero-emission format. The model is due to enter pre-sales later in 2025 before production scales up.
Charging etiquette emerges alongside wider EV habits
The survey also highlights a set of emerging norms around public charging. The most widely agreed expectations are not parking in a charging bay unless charging, moving the vehicle promptly once topped up, and avoiding disconnecting other drivers’ vehicles without permission.
Isuzu’s research also suggests that charging points are viewed as unexpectedly social spaces. More than half of respondents said they are good places to meet people, while a third felt EV ownership itself sends a positive signal in a potential partner, often linked to environmental awareness and shared tastes.
A light-hearted trend used to frame a more serious shift
George Wallis, Isuzu UK’s Head of Marketing, said the spread of playful EV names shows “strong emotional connections” forming around battery vehicles, adding that the electric D-Max aims to “plug an EV gap” by offering zero-emission capability without compromising on usefulness.
For Isuzu, the nickname data provides a human-interest angle at a time when the transition to zero-emission vehicles is accelerating and consumers are becoming more familiar with electric alternatives.
The D-Max EV will arrive into that context as one of the first attempts to build a fully electric pick-up designed for proper commercial workloads rather than lifestyle positioning.
