Range and Infrastructure Chief Reasons For Slow EV Take-Up
The majority of US car owners are still too worried about range anxiety and the lack of infrastructure to want to buy electric vehicles.
A study by the Automobile Association of America (AAA) found that 58% motorists surveyed are concerned about having enough places to charge while 57% feared running out of battery charge. However, these are down 11% compared to 2017, showing progress is being made, albeit slowly. There are now 25% more chargers fast chargers in the US compared to 2017, with car range and battery life increasing as manufacturers work on ever-more efficient motors and to pack more battery capacity into the same amount of space.
In terms of those likely to buy an electric car as their next vehicle, 16% of the 1,000 polled said this was likely just as they had in a 2018 study. Concern for the planet’s climate and the environment was cited by 74% was the leading reason and seemingly oblivious of the debate over whether BEVs are better for the planet. Lower long-term running costs were cited by 56% while Millennials were the most likely to consider a BEV, with 23% saying they’d consider buying an electric car against 17% of Generation X and only 8% of Baby Boomers.
Just under 60% aren’t sure how different driving conditions will cause a BEV’s charge to deplete quicker such as driving on the high-speed highways or in heavy, stop-start traffic, displaying how BEVs are still widely misunderstood among the general public. At the same time just 42% think most cars will be electric by 2029, compared with 45% who think the opposite. What’s more, in another AAA study conducted earlier this year, 55% of Americans thought cars would be able to drive themselves in a decade’s time at a time most automakers believe they are at least 25 years away, showing there is still some way to go towards educating the public on emerging automotive technology.
Finally, 67%, of those polled would be willing to spend more on an electric vehicle, with 44% willing to pay up to $4,000 more and almost a quarter, 23%, willing to spend more than $4,000.
