With a Federal election in a few weeks and the sudden buzz about electric vehicles, a survey in the United States has found the need for greater education.
Two thirds of respondents believe electric vehicles or EVs as they are known are for province of early adopters, rather than viable for main stream consumption.
The survey was commissioned by Mini USA and conducted by market research and business intelligence firm Engine International, Inc.
As the popularity and availability of EVs continues to grow in the US, consumers are zeroing in on how they want to use an EV.
- 63 per cent of consumers said the best way to use an EV is for commuting or city driving
- 73 per cent of consumer surveyed said that battery range of up to 75 miles (120km) was sufficient for their daily use
- 74 per cent of consumers surveyed did not know where their nearest EV charging station was located
- 80 per cent of EV owners tend to charge their cars at home
When consumers were asked to choose an acceptable amount of time it should take to charge an EV, the most common answer was:
- 28 per cent was ‘‘I don’t know”
- 25 per cent “30 minutes”
“It is important for us as a brand to understand how consumers want to use their electric vehicles, and what they know and don’t know about them as we move closer to the launch of the Mini Cooper S E electric vehicle in the US,” Head of Corporate Communications, Andrew Cutler, said.
“The more intelligence we gather, the more we can educate consumers about the many benefits of electric mobility and what Mini has to offer in the new MINI Cooper S E electric vehicle coming in early 2020.”
While Federal Tax Credits on EVs are certainly an incentive for consumers to purchase an EV, part of the population is making the choice to purchase an EV based on factors beyond incentives.
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