Electric survey shock

Not everyone who buys an battery electric vehicle stays a fan of the technology.

That’s a key finding from a survey of North American public sentiment toward BEVs conducted by the data analytics and consumer intelligence company JD Power in association with SurveyMonkey.

According to the survey, some previous EV owners have been put off the experience by “high maintenance costs, purchase price, limited range and performance in extreme weather”.

One disgruntled respondent – there were more than 8000 overall – to the survey wrote: “Absolute hoax, does not provide enough heat to clear windows in cold weather. Car is cold to ride in in the winter.”

Perhaps more concerning was the survey’s finding that 70 per cent of American and 67 per cent of Canadian respondents revealed they had never been in an EV.

An astonishing 30 per cent of Americans said they knew nothing about EVs and 19 per cent of Canadians.

One consumer said: “I like the idea of an electric powered vehicle, but at what cost? Once the batteries need replacement, how expensive are they? How do old electric car batteries affect the environment? Are they able to be recycled, or will they make the landfills even more toxic? Would I get an electric solar powered car? Yes. But wouldn’t they also need batteries and then be in the same situation?”

Showing some things don’t change, the survey found the top three barriers to EV ownership remain the same in 2020 as 1997.

They are charging station availability, driving range and purchase price. Those issues were at the top of the list when JD Power surveyed potential interest in the experimental GM EV1 in 1997.

BEVs have certainly changed, but it looks like perceptions haven’t!

The best bit out of it all for the future of electric vehicles? Despite all the concerns 29 per cent of Americans and 31 per cent of Canadians expressed some likelihood they would buy a BEV in the future.