Only 14% Of US Survey Respondents Say They Would Definitely Buy An Electric Vehicle

Consumer Reports ^ | 07/11/2022 | Jessica Rabe of DataTrek Research

[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.

Source

[When do we get liberated?]

I have 2 Chevy Volts. A 2014 with 225k and a 2018 with 51k. Great, trouble free cars. You plug them in overnight. The 2014 originally got 38 miles on the battery, now gets 30 or so. The 2018 started at 48 miles on battery and is still there.
It has an efficient 1.5 liter gas motor that charges the battery after that. When I was commuting 1400 miles a weekend to see my sick mom I didn’t have to plug in, I just used the gas motor. Plugging in is optional.
For people who drive short distances, it is perfect. My daughter drives the 2014 now and she depletes the battery and kicks in the motor only once or twice a week.
Plugging it into a wall socket at 110 volts charges the 2014 in 14 hours, the 2018 in 16 hours. I paid an electrician 237 dollars to put a 220 plug in the garage that cuts that in half.
Before you say it, 0 to 60 in 6.0. Not a Corvette, but plenty fast to get through traffic.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I could run an EV back and forth to work, I guess - but my paid-for Nissan Rogue does the job quite adequately and I could go 3 weeks between fill-ups if I wanted to let it drop that low. So why should I?

[dangus]

Have you never been to an interstate service center?

[minnesota_bound]

See: Auto Expert Uncovers Hidden Truth About EV Range Claims - Owners Should Be Seething
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4077658/posts

[minnesota_bound]

The democrats are deliberately raising the price of energy to keep us restricted in our traveling.
They raised the price of gas for your car to double or more. They are also raising the price of electricity so you cannot even charge the electric car cheaply.