Photo: MINI
April 22 is Earth Day, a global celebration of sustainability and environmental protection. Considering this special occasion, MINI USA conducted a survey to find out American consumers’ views on EVs and to see how it’s changed since the last time they checked. The company carries out the same survey every year since 2019.
As the EV market in the U.S. is rapidly evolving, all automakers have a common goal: to make EVs more accessible to the public. With more and more options available and more sales than ever, how have these changes impacted the average consumer’s mindset? MINI kept all the questions from the previous survey but added a few new ones, such as what keeps American consumers from purchasing an EV. Let’s take a closer look at what people have answered.
The results indicated that almost half of the American consumers plan to acquire an electric vehicle within the next five years. Regarding the barriers discouraging customers from buying, 44% of respondents named price an issue, while 18% stated the lack of reliable public charging stations as a deterrent.
The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,010 adults – another of its aims was to further discover consumers’ familiarity with EV ownership and infrastructure. Awareness regarding local charging stations has slowly but steadily increased in the last four years, from 26% of respondents in 2019 to 44% in 2023.
Another major factor regarding EV adoption is charging time, especially since consumers have gotten used to fueling up in just a few minutes with gas or diesel. 72% of consumers consider one hour or less an acceptable charging time. This is a 13% increase compared to the previous survey results.
Only 15% of respondents stated that driving range was their main setback in purchasing an EV. Typically, this is one of the first issues that pop into mind when considering EV adoption. However, since technology has recently come a long way, this is no longer a significant problem. Furthermore, 73% of respondents said that their driving habits fall within 75 miles (almost 121 km) per day, way under the average range of EVs nowadays. This figure has remained consistent throughout recent years, from 76% in 2022 and 74% in 2019.
What do consumers believe regarding the best use for EVs? 31% of respondents indicated “city car” as the top usage, compared to 32% in 2022 and 34% four years ago. “Primary car” usage remains the same as last year at 27%, increasing from 18% in 2019.
Price is and will probably remain the primary deterrent for consumers buying an EV, as the new survey questions demonstrate. In fact, 58% of consumers won’t consider purchasing an electric vehicle unless its price is equal to or cheaper than an ICE vehicle.
But here’s a surprising bit – when it comes to young consumers aged 18 to 34, 56% of respondents said they’re willing to pay more for an electric car. On the other hand, only 33% of respondents aged 45 to 64 would empty a larger sum for an EV.
The results indicated that almost half of the American consumers plan to acquire an electric vehicle within the next five years. Regarding the barriers discouraging customers from buying, 44% of respondents named price an issue, while 18% stated the lack of reliable public charging stations as a deterrent.
The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,010 adults – another of its aims was to further discover consumers’ familiarity with EV ownership and infrastructure. Awareness regarding local charging stations has slowly but steadily increased in the last four years, from 26% of respondents in 2019 to 44% in 2023.
Another major factor regarding EV adoption is charging time, especially since consumers have gotten used to fueling up in just a few minutes with gas or diesel. 72% of consumers consider one hour or less an acceptable charging time. This is a 13% increase compared to the previous survey results.
Only 15% of respondents stated that driving range was their main setback in purchasing an EV. Typically, this is one of the first issues that pop into mind when considering EV adoption. However, since technology has recently come a long way, this is no longer a significant problem. Furthermore, 73% of respondents said that their driving habits fall within 75 miles (almost 121 km) per day, way under the average range of EVs nowadays. This figure has remained consistent throughout recent years, from 76% in 2022 and 74% in 2019.
What do consumers believe regarding the best use for EVs? 31% of respondents indicated “city car” as the top usage, compared to 32% in 2022 and 34% four years ago. “Primary car” usage remains the same as last year at 27%, increasing from 18% in 2019.
Price is and will probably remain the primary deterrent for consumers buying an EV, as the new survey questions demonstrate. In fact, 58% of consumers won’t consider purchasing an electric vehicle unless its price is equal to or cheaper than an ICE vehicle.
But here’s a surprising bit – when it comes to young consumers aged 18 to 34, 56% of respondents said they’re willing to pay more for an electric car. On the other hand, only 33% of respondents aged 45 to 64 would empty a larger sum for an EV.
Google News