Global Survey Shows Consumers Cool Toward EVs

An international survey by professional services company Deloitte finds the present generation of electric cars do not meet consumers’ expectations on charge convenience, cost of charging, vehicle price and range.

Australia-based Deloitte Motor Industry Services partner Danny Rezek says the vast majority of respondents have demands that pure EVs in today’s market do not fulfill.

Blade Electron EV, built in Australia.

These include a range of at least 200 miles (320 km) (68% of respondents), charging time of two hours or less (58% of respondents) and wider availability of public charging stations (51%-91%).

The survey included 12,000 consumers in China, the U.S., Europe and Japan, as well as 509 in Australia.

Australian consumers say issues of fuel efficiency (58%) and the environment (80%) influence their purchase decisions.

The Deloitte report cites gasoline prices as the critical factor in the EV purchasing decision.

“A petrol (gasoline) price of greater than A$2.60/L ($10.67 a gallon) would see more than 71% of respondents more likely to consider an electric-vehicle purchase,” Rezek says in a statement.

Australian prices now are about A$1.50L ($6.16 a gallon).

Some 55% of Chinese say they want an EV charging time of two hours or less, while the figure is 50% in the U.S., 67% in Europe, 81% in Japan and 58% in Australia.

Deloitte says the study shows 44% of Australian consumers expect to pay less than A$20,000 ($21,690) for an EV.

In China, 51% want an EV costing no more than a similar gasoline-powered vehicle. That rises to 56% in the U.S., 57% in Europe and 63% in Japan.

“These figures send a message to automotive dealers that while fuel prices weigh in to the consumer’s purchasing decision, it is the cost of the actual EV that may also deter the purchase,” Rezek says.

The report says if internal-combustion-powered vehicles averaging 50 mpg (4.7L/100 km), are available, 54% of those surveyed are much less interested in EVs.

“A total of 68% of consumers in the U.S. and 57% in China are less likely to consider an EV if they are able to find more fuel-efficient vehicles. In Australia, this number is 54%,” Rezek says.