Posted on 07/11/2022 9:06:34 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new nationwide survey from Consumer Reports shows that range anxiety and cost are the primary factors holding back consumers from purchasing an electric vehicle. Only 14 pct of respondents said they would definitely buy an EV, not enough to support a vibrant used EV market.
Consumer Reports recently released the results of its nationally representative survey of 8,027 American adults on their views towards electric vehicles. Here were the major takeaways:
On buying/leasing an EV: Fourteen percent of respondents said they “would definitely buy or lease an electric-only vehicle”, over half (57%) said they would consider/seriously consider it and more than a quarter (28%) said they would not consider buying one.
Obstacles to buying/leasing an EV: The top 3 concerns preventing respondents from buying or leasing an electric-only vehicle were:
“Charging logistics, such as where and when I’d be able to charge it” (61%),
“number of miles the vehicle can go before it needs to be charged” (55%) and
“costs involved with buying, owning and maintaining an electric-only vehicle” (52%).
When it comes to cost-related factors preventing respondents from buying or leasing an EV, the top 3 were:
“purchase price” (58 pct),
“maintenance and repair costs” (40 pct) and
“the cost to install a home charger” (30 pct).
In terms of charging-related concerns holding people back, the top 3 were:
“not enough public charging stations” (59 pct),
“nowhere to plug in my car to charge at home” (44 pct) and
“inconvenience of charging” (42 pct).
Knowledge of tax incentives: Almost half (46 pct) of respondents had not heard of any incentives available for EV owners. Just over a third (34 pct) knew about “tax rebates/discounts at the time of purchase or lease”.
Further, most respondents (60 pct) said they are not too familiar or not familiar at all with the fundamentals of owning an EV. Most respondents have not driven (93 pct) or been a passenger (83 pct) in an EV over the last year.
Takeaway: This survey is instructive in that it captures the receptivity to EVs among BOTH new and used car buyers. For the EV market to prove robust and sustainable, it will need to achieve broader adoption to support the EV ecosystem that helps drive resale values and affordable lease rates.
At present, more than a quarter of Americans are not open to getting an EV, with range anxiety and costs the primary factors holding back consumers. Many Americans are also still unfamiliar with EVs in terms of how they work and the tax incentives available. Spurring more EV adoption will come down to improving the technology (i.e. extending vehicle range), expanding the number of public charging stations, and offering/publicizing financial incentives which help bring down purchase prices.
Without real global warming most northern states are a “no go” for electric vehicles four months of the year.
Some folks will need to figure this out the hard way.
They don’t need to find out. They are way ahead of the game on banning ICE.
Gas stops for commuting are a different matter. The EV takes no personal time to charge at home. Who cares if it takes hours on the AC charger to fill up if you don't have to babysit it? When you get home you plug it in and ignore it while you go into the house, eat dinner, tell your wife she's beautiful, and do what comes naturally. And right now about half of the power to charge the EV is free from my home solar system (also half the power for the entire house). When my solar upgrade is done then about 85% to 95% of all the power I need for both the house and charging the EV will be free.
The EV and solar on the house provide me a hedge against energy inflation. If energy costs rise at just a reasonable 3% inflation rate from here on, the savings will pay for itself in 10 years. If I need a vehicle for an emergency road trip or to tow a trailer, I still have the gas pickup. Plus the gas pickup is used on the days my wife and I have to run separate errands.
I basically got tired at just fussin' at the Dims and their energy policies. I decided my family would be better off if I made us a little more energy independent. I wish I had a solution for all the indirect ways the Dims' energy policies affect us (higher grocery costs, higher plastics, supply issues, etc.).
RE: I definitely bought an electric car. It’s almost 3 years now. If I had to do it again I would buy the top model for 4000 dollars more.
You must be among the top 5% income earners in this country... enjoy your vehicle.
No. Not interested at all. I view it as a national security issue as we do not control the sources of the materials and resources needed to build an EV. The CCP does.
There should be more electric-vehicle racing. IC-powered racing led to a great many automotive improvements, and I’ll bet the same would happen for EVs. There’s a lot of ingenuity applied by people looking to win a race.
There is a reason why Toyota, the largest and most profitable global auto producer, which clearly has the technology to produce an EV, will not do so. They know their markets and they have said quite often there is not the charging infrastructure to support them and the range anxiety of prospective purchasers is insurmountable at this time. The market is not ready yet for them. Their cheaper hybrids with no charging issues or range anxiety will be bigger beneficiaries of this latest round of gas hikes.
And I call this poll fake news. Run by Greenies, Consumer Reports, and conservative don’t do polls. I bet it’s 3%. If these weren’t subsidized they’d be dead in the water.
What it lacks in optics it makes up for in acceleration. Stomping on the "gas" pedal will put you into the backseat.
Even if I would consider buying a new EV, I would never consider buying a used one. The driving range will decrease with the age of the battery until the battery does not hold any charge at all. EV batteries are expensive to replace.
RE: There is a reason why Toyota, the largest and most profitable global auto producer, which clearly has the technology to produce an EV, will not do so
But Toyota ALREADY HAS electric vehicles. See here:
https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/bz4x/
Yep, they do, all but the electric part.
ICE and hydrocarbons are the stands d, bidenomics will not change that easily, and likely, not at all.
2 years to go....
Sounds like a guy I used to work with. Smug jerk about EVs and “free” charging.
I’d take the Dodge with the 100 gallon red diesel tank in the back and my little diesel generator. That was my gulf coast bug out rig and now I don’t live there. :) Still got the truck and all though.
It is not just the charging with the EV. The only thing renewable about renewables is the replacement of the whole kit, batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, all of it has a relatively short life cycle and is hard to dispose of or recycle.
There is also the risk of battery failure. The risk may be small but the consequence is large, not manageable and mostly not reversible, the battery fires practically can’t be extinguished except by immersion. I don’t want that in my garage.
After even these things there is a laundry list of other problems others have mentioned already.
In a pros and cons list comparison ICE still wins hands down for most people. The EV remains a glorified golf cart.
Not likely enforceable. Not sensible. Certainly not rational.
Isn’t it just amazing how cheap someone with enough money to buy a tesla is? You would think they would be smarter.
Yes, really. Dead in the water.
-PJ
If losing 12% of your range is what you define as “no-go.” People talk about this as if they lose 80% of their range.
You make one of my points, spontaneity and immediate freedom to go and choose is much limited. It is a point to point vehicle for the most part or a local runabout. They remind me a lot of airplanes which also don’t allow much in the way of spontaneity, you have to plan every move on a cross country. Anyway, you do it you are smart.
Maintenance is an attractive thing if you don’t need repairs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.