Lack of awareness plays major role in slow EV adoption in US: report
Three out of five Americans do not know of the existence of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and four out of five have never ridden inside one, according to strategy consultants Altman Vilandrie. A survey of 2,500 participants showed that 60% of those who had tried PEVs enjoyed the experience. Concerns included fears of losing power, with 74% not knowing how far a PEV would travel fully charged, and worries about charging infrastructure. The higher cost of purchase put off 83% of those surveyed. Altman Vilandrie said that less expensive PEVs would increase adoption rates to 24 times current numbers.
A recent survey found that what’s stopping car buyers from choosing electric vehicles is the perceived lack of charging stations, something 85% of respondents mentioned, followed by the high costs (83%), and concerns over the range (74%).

That’s unsurprising, but what is more surprising is that those are not actually the main issue slowing down electric vehicle adoption. According to the same survey, 60% of the more than 2,500 American drivers said they were “unaware of electric cars”.

It’s hard to believe when you are dealing with EVs every day, but that’s what research firm Altman Vilandrie & Co. concluded based on the data from its recent survey.

If 60% of the drivers are not even aware of having the option to drive electric, the other concerns are not even a problem for those people.

It’s a little easier to understand when you look at the spending habits of automakers when it comes to advertising their electric vehicles. A recent study found that automakers are spending almost nothing to advertise their electric cars nationally in the US and only a little more to do so in markets with ZEV mandates, especially in California.

More (and better) advertising should go a long way in increasing awareness.

Furthermore, automakers are already addressing the other concerns that drivers have in regards to electric vehicles found in the study.

Here a few more of the findings from the Altman Vilandrie & Co. survey (via NGT News)

Despite the significant advances in expanding EV range, the survey finds that range anxiety exists for all drivers – from those who are in the car for more than three hours a day (87%), to drivers on the road for less than an hour a day (72%).

The survey shows that younger and more affluent consumers were more likely to buy an EV than the rest of the motoring public: 17% of consumers earning $100,000 or more and 18% of 25-34 year-olds plan on making an EV their next car.

Older drivers (65+) are more likely to turn to Ford or Volkswagen for an EV, while Tesla and Mercedes are most appealing to young drivers (18-24). Overall, Tesla and Volkswagen have the largest potential share of the EV market.

There’s nothing better for awareness than having more electric vehicles on the road so that people see them. There are only a few automakers planning to produce electric vehicles in large volumes (hundreds of thousands), but once it happens, it will accelerate both adoption and awareness. The Tesla Model 3’s planned production of 400,000 vehicles per year should help toward those goals.