Consumers may be increasingly interested in electric cars – however, they are unlikely to be satisfied by their present standard.
According to a new survey by Deloitte, no more than two-four per cent of consumers worldwide would have their expectations met. Its survey, entitled Unplugged: Electric vehicle realities versus consumer expectations canvassed more than 13,000 consumers across 17 countries and revealed a general desire to buy electric vehicles but unwillingness to compromise on key performance criteria and price.
In the United States, for example, 12 per cent indicated they could be potential “first movers” when adopting an electric vehicle; while an additional 42 per cent said they “might be willing to consider” purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle. However, most would base their purchase decision on range, convenience and purchase price – ranking these considerations as “extremely important” or “very important”.
American consumers had the highest range expectations – only 63 per cent would be satisfied with a range of 300miles even though 77 per cent admitted they drive less than 50miles on a weekday.
In addition, the survey showed that consumers want faster battery charge times – with some 58 per cent of American consumers surveyed expecting an electric vehicle to recharge its battery in two hours or less, while nearly one in four Americans expected a 30minute charging time.
Another significant issue facing the automotive industry is that there is unwillingness among consumers to pay much, if any, price premium for an electric vehicle. In particular, consumers will not pay more for an electric vehicle than they currently pay for a comparable vehicle with a petrol or diesel engine. Indeed more than 50 per cent indicated they would not pay any kind of a price premium for an electric vehicle – including 65 per cent of American correspondents.
Meanwhile, high fuel prices are seen as a motivating factor for buying an electric vehicle with improvements in the fuel efficiency of petrol and diesel vehicles likely to ruin the appetite for electric vehicles.
