New car buyers avoid electric cars because of cost, range and infrastructure
More than 1,500 car shoppers said they avoid electric cars because they're too expensive, don't offer a usable range, or because they don't have access to a charger, a new report found.
The survey, conducted by Autolist.com, collected responses from 1,567 car shoppers and asked shoppers the reasons why they would or would not consider an electric vehicle.
Shoppers said their top reasons for not considering an electric vehicle were range, price relative to gas-powered vehicles, and lack of infrastructure. Respondents said they would accept a range of between 250 and 300 miles for a $35,000 EV, which is what many EVs on sale currently offer. The Chevy Bolt EV, Kia Soul Electric, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and Nissan Leaf Plus all offer roughly 250 to 300 miles of range with a starting price near $35,000.
Nearly 70 percent of shoppers said they supported tax rebates to spur electric car sales and more than half of those surveyed (55 percent) said they would use an electric vehicle as their primary car if they bought an EV immediately.
Only about one in 10 shoppers said they felt that there were no EVs made and sold by a brand they trusted.
About 40 percent of respondents said they wouldn't consider an EV because of range and relative price compared to a gas-powered version, while about 37 percent of respondents said they wouldn't consider and EV because of their access.
When asked, shoppers said they expected an EV that cost $70,000 or more to have a range of more than 500 miles, and 61 percent said they would consider the EV if it had a range of 400 miles or more. Currently, no EV offers a range of 400 miles or more, and Tesla's longest-range Model S is rated for 370 miles, according to the EPA. The Audi E-tron luxury crossover is rated for about 200 miles of range and costs well north of $70,000.
Autolist Editor David Undercoffler said age and range anxiety were directly related; older respondents had a higher priority for a longer range than younger buyers.
Nearly three in four respondents said they were unsure if all electric vehicles could charge on Tesla's proprietary Supercharger network. Only 14 percent were correct in knowing that only Teslas can charge at Supercharger stations.
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