Thursday 6 October 2011

EVs: Our survey says- No

EVs: Our survey says- No

A recent survey on consumers' attitudes towards electric cars has revealed the EV industry has a long way to go in persuading people to switch to the greener alternative.

According to a new survey from Deloitte, consumers worldwide expect electric vehicles to travel farther, have less charge time and sell for a lower price than manufacturers are offering. What current EVs offer is so far from what people actually want that no more than 4% of consumers would be happy.

Craig Giffi, vice chairman and automotive practice leader at Deloitte LLP said: "There is a clear disconnect between consumers' expectations for electric vehicles and the actual capabilities and costs of technologies available in the market today. As consumers become more educated and as technology evolves, we certainly expect that gap to shrink, but neither will happen overnight.

Mr Giffi said the changes were less likely to happen during our current economic climate: "For the time being, the mass adoption of electric vehicles is more likely to occur in countries that are willing and able to take an aggressive policy approach that encourages and subsidises the market. And in today's world, with so many sovereign debt challenges, that is very likely to be a road less travelled."

The survey, "Unplugged: Electric vehicle realities versus consumer expectations," canvassed more than 13,000 consumers in 17 countries across the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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