As demand for all-electric vehicles has faltered somewhat as of late – and Ford’s hybrids continue to set new sales records – the automaker has since shifted its focus to providing customers with a diverse array of powertrain options including ICE, hybrids, and EVs. Meanwhile, a host of recent studies have found that consumers are less likely to consider purchasing a new EV than in the past couple of years, though a new survey also reveals that those same shoppers actually prefer traditional gas vehicles over hybrids as well.
According to the inaugural KPMG American Perspectives Survey, assuming all costs and features are equal, 38 percent of the 1,110 respondents that participated said that they’d choose a traditional gas-powered vehicle, compared to 34 percent that voted for a hybrid, and 21 percent for an EV. These responses did vary a bit based on what part of the U.S. those consumers are located in, as the West Coast showed a strong preference for hybrids, while gas vehicles were more popular in the Midwest and Northeast.
As Ford Authority reported earlier this month, the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study found that the number of Americans considering an EV as their next new vehicle purchase declined for the first time since 2021, which corresponds with a general drop in demand for those models. However, given the fact that Ford just set a new sales record for hybrids in April, coupled with some additional data regarding partially-electrified vehicles, it’s somewhat surprising that those models lagged behind gas vehicles.
In fact, in addition to Ford’s hybrid sales surge – those models enjoyed far greater growth than ICE vehicles last month – a recent study from S&P Global Mobility found that U.S. households with ICE vehicles were more likely to migrate to hybrid models versus pure EVs last year. Between January and October 2023, 8.3 percent of those households purchased a hybrid vehicle (a number that reached 9.9 percent in October) versus 5.7 percent that opted to go all-electric. Both numbers increased year-over-year, however, from 6.1 percent for hybrids and from 4.6 percent for EVs.
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Comments
I think the issue is when you go to buy an EV there are a lot of things they aren’t telling you. For example, my wife just bought a 2023 Mach E GT. The dealer didn’t really cover anything about the charging of it. Also you think you get a charger included and then you find out it’s a $500 option they made you pay for. And it’s a “mobile” charger. Not a hard wired one.
To get the hard wired one you have to pay another $1500 plus installation which could run another several thousand. So then you think you save on gas but you just sunk 6 grand to charge your car and you haven’t charged it once yet.
And now I am seeing where even the plug in one isn’t all that safe if you don’t have have a heavy duty EV ready 240 NEMA 14-50 plug that runs around $100. That old Leviton NEMA plug in your garage may not be up to the task.
Then you say “I’ll use the 120 v option”. It takes 100 hours to charge the battery. If you drive only 20 miles a day then you may get by.
Then comes the winter and your range f just dropped in half. That’s like your gas car cutting it’s MPG in half just because it got a little cool outside.
I live in VA and there were a lot of dead Teslas left on 95 during a late winter storm waiting in traffic.
In hindsight, I probably would have discouraged my wife but none of this you really learn till after the fact.
No wonder people are still skiddish.
“Assuming Costs and Features are Equal….” Well, they aren’t equal and they won’t be for many, many years.
This survey is wrong and short sited because it only cover one nation in America (U.S.). The other nations, from Canada to Chile, have other needs and do prefer hybrids. Both Ford and GM sell many other vehicles outside of the U.S. and many hybrids.
If hybrids didn’t add cost and faire mechanisms people wouldn’t mind them. Options like powerboost are pretty well received…. When they work. Look at the failure of Ram eTorque. Similar system, tons of issues, poorly received.