As automakers scramble to produce more and more battery electric vehicles, many questions remain regarding whether or not the majority of consumers are ready to give up their ICE-powered vehicles for an EV. However, EV sales are rising, and a new study indicates that the number of buyers thinking about purchasing one has grown significantly as well, though there are a few caveats.
The study, conducted by OC&C Strategy Consultants, surveyed over 7,500 consumers from around the world, asking them six core questions. One of those questions is what kind of vehicle they’re looking to buy, and in that regard, the future looks bright for battery electric vehicles. Over half of the surveyed consumers in the UK, France, and Italy and nearly half of those in the U.S. and Germany said they would consider a BEV for their next purchase.
Over 40 percent of those surveyed indicated that they would consider buying an EV when they need a new vehicle, and the number of those that reported they will “definitely” or “be likely to” buy a BEV has sharply increased in every country, driven by an improved perception of range and infrastructure.
The number of consumers thinking about buying an EV increased 81 percent in the UK and 61 percent in the U.S., compared to last year’s study. However, there is one large obstacle that survey participants said would likely keep them from buying an EV – price – which overtook infrastructure as the largest barrier to EV ownership.
A full 69 percent of consumers that indicated they were interested in buying an EV said that they would not pay more than a $500 premium over a comparable ICE-powered vehicle to do so. Since most battery electric vehicles cost far more than their ICE counterparts, this statistic highlights why lawmakers and automakers in the U.S. and Europe are targeting even more generous incentives for those that purchase EVs.
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Comments
Just like wind and solar renewables the only way to get participation or interest is by government subsidies which of course is our tax dollars that would be better spent elsewhere like better roads and bridges and roads that are better aligned to moving traffic more efficiently while avoiding large metro areas.
fossil fuel industry is subsidized too
My Focus ST is all the car I’ll need for at least the next five years, and despite really wanting a BEV, I simply cannot make an argument for investing in one. And then only if the concerns posted by S. Ketterer have been answered. Otherwise, I’d be forced to keep my ST as an alternative to the BEV, and I really have no desire to buy a BEV under those circumstances; however, if the federal government would realign money designated for distribution to foreign governments — putting it into rebates for Americans buying battery electric vehicles thereby making them roughly half as expensive as they currently are, then I’d be a candidate for a BEV. Say a $30,000 rebate instead of $3,000. Laugh if you will, but it would be no more difficult for Congress to make that adjustment than it would for me to purchase a BEV unless they do so. Opportunity cost cannot be wished away.
No one has mentioned what is going to happen to the road taxes! These BEV will be charged an enhanced licensing fee as fuel revenue (gas taxes) will be sorely deminished. With that the politicians will have a new hayday incorporating/devising new taxes on the BEV’s that we haven’t seen yet. Possibly a annual mileage fee tacked on to the licensing fee.
If the climate ninnies get their way and we abandon reliable means of producing electricity (natural gas, coal, nuclear), the notion of adding millions of vehicles to our grid is absolutely preposterous. Until we agree on an electricity profile that balances reliability, efficiency, cost and ‘sustainability’ then it really is best to keep how we fuel transportation separate from how we power our homes and buildings. I have no doubt that our elected officials will screw it all up, so I will stick with ICE vehicles as long as possible.
In most cases is really doesn’t pay one to be an early adopter of any new tech. Largely due to the fact that many of the issues associated with early adoption, particularly in this case, they don’t take into consideration many of the issues mentioned above.
Look how long it took for people to accept recycling plastics. Once that became habit, now there’s too much plastic for anyone to do anything with except add it to landfills…or the oceans of the world.