More than one in four Americans say they would not consider buying an electric vehicle. Nevertheless, thanks to growing environmental concerns and rising gas prices, EVs are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Tesla has led the global EV industry for a long time in terms of volume and value. However, the American EV-maker was recently knocked off its perch by Chinese automaker BYD following a massive spike in demand for electric vehicles in China. The Elon Musk-led company is now the world's second-largest EV maker, ahead of GM, Volkswagen, Volvo, Hyundai and others.
The increasing popularity of electric vehicles is no longer restricted to cars and trucks. Vessels and aircraft are also going electric with a vengeance in recent times. What's more, electric vessels are no longer limited to ferries and small passenger boats on inland waterways, unlike earlier. Instead, all-electric cargo ships are being commissioned in Europe and are expected to be deployed commercially within the next year or two. Late last year, Rolls-Royce also showed off its all-electric 'Spirit of Innovation' aircraft that went on to set three new world speed records to become the fastest EV in the world.
In a Consumer Reports survey released in early July, more than a quarter of respondents said that they would not buy an electric vehicle despite its obvious benefits. Only 14 percent of respondents said they would definitely buy or lease an EV, while 22 percent said they would consider getting one as their next car. A further 35 percent said they might consider an EV in the future, while 28 percent said they were not considering getting an electric vehicle.
The survey was conducted with 8,027 adult Americans, many of whom cited multiple reasons for their disinterest in EVs. While the reasoning for not choosing EVs varied based on the respondents' age, income, education levels and race, there were three clear standout factors that seem to be holding people back from switching to electric. First, a large percentage of people cited 'purchase price' as one of the primary reasons why they will not consider EVs. Electric vehicles are currently considered more expensive than traditional cars, although some EVs, like the Chevy Bolt, are relatively affordable by most standards. What's more, some upcoming EVs like the Chevy Blazer and Subaru Solterra are also trying to change the EV pricing perception with more affordable price tags.
More than half of the surveyed individuals also cited the cost of ownership and maintenance as a problem. However, in the real world, EVs are easier to maintain than traditional internal combustion cars as they have fewer moving parts and also have much lower running costs per mile compared to gasoline-powered vehicles. About 60 percent of those surveyed also said that with electric cars, they'd have to worry about when and where they could charge their vehicle. About 55 percent also expressed concerns about range. Finally, another factor holding back people from buying EVs is the lack of awareness about federal and state incentives for EVs. Almost half of all Americans surveyed (46 percent) said that they were unaware of any such government incentives for buying electric vehicles.
Source: Consumer Reports (PDF)
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