EV Price Concerns Potential Buyers Not Range
Rightfully so, range is not as much an issue as consumers are constantly led to believe when it comes to electric vehicles, EV. The over cheap PR gimmick of “range anxiety” has bitten the proverbial behind of those companies caught unprepared. In a recent poll, TheChargingPoint.com found people were more concerned over the initial price of an EV than its range. Would we expect less given this economic downturn?
All About Price, Price, And Price. All in all, the number one reason for 74.3% of the people surveyed was the concern over the purchase cost of an electric car, as should be expected. It was followed by only 38.1% who preferred not to buy one due feeling the range would not be adequate. This means again, the so-called “range anxiety” is mostly in carmaker’s minds more than consumers.
Range, Sweet Range. The poll revealed an interesting fact that the acceptable range for a pure electric car would be a reasonable 100 to 200 miles. This makes sense considering 80% of the daily commute in the US is less than 40 miles, something almost any electric cars deliver today. So far three of them currently deliver range between 60 to 100 miles. More interestingly, only 40% wanted to see a 200 and 300 mile range, which seems more of a hopeful wishing than actual current daily need. Yet, it remains that the 100 to 300 mile barrier is the sweet spot to beat. The race is on, as Tesla Motors is leading the way.
All in all, the study confirms something we all come to realize after reading the numbers and sitting down to understand our actual needs, not unrealistic ones. Almost all current electric cars, as well as those coming on the market today can satisfy most drivers’ daily commute needs. Electric outlets abound in this country and charging is less a problem than previously thought. Lastly, 21.2% believed there weren’t enough choice in the electric vehicle market, something 2012 is changing considering the growing choice. All in all, electric cars deliver all we need for the overwhelming majority of our daily commutes. The last frontier to the wide adoption of electric cars still remains as affordability, followed by a distant range.
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