New electric vehicle offerings, including electric pickups, may be pushing more consumers to seriously consider buying an EV, but a lack of access to charging capabilities is a key reason some shoppers say they aren’t interested, according to a new survey.
Almost a quarter (24%) of shoppers surveyed in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study released Thursday say they are “very likely” to consider an EV for their next purchase or lease, according to a news release.
That’s a 4% increase of those who are “very likely” to consider an EV compared with 2021, the first year of the study.
“The addition of new EV models has moved the needle on consumer consideration,” Stewart Stropp, senior director of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said in the release. “In fact, several new models from perennial mass market brands are at the top of that consideration list.”
Geno Effler, a J.D. Power spokesman, said the names of the specific new models are proprietary and can’t be shared.
The release noted that “more remains to be done in terms of transitioning from early to mass adoption” because more than three-quarters of shoppers surveyed are not “very likely” to consider an EV.
The study also highlighted an economic divide in EV consideration.
“There is a substantially higher ratio of shoppers who own their home who say they are ‘very likely to consider’ an EV (27%) than those who rent (17%). Not only are homeowners more affluent, on average, but are more likely to be able to charge an EV at their residence,” the release said. “Perhaps most tellingly, 34% of those who indicate they are unlikely to consider purchasing an EV say they lack access to any charging capabilities at home or work.”
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Those kinds of differences show some of the challenges ahead as the auto industry pushes forward with its electrification plans. Limited charging infrastructure and income inequity are not factors that can be addressed by getting more EV’s in showrooms.
However, familiarity with EVs makes a big difference, too, showing that automakers likely have opportunities to increase interest.
“Only 11% of study respondents who had no personal experience at all with EVs say they are ‘very likely’ to consider an EV. That percentage more than doubles to 24% among those new vehicle shoppers who have simply been a passenger in an EV and rises to 34% among those who have driven an EV,” the release said.
The release highlighted several other findings from the study:
- “Some 37% of premium vehicle owners indicate they are ‘very likely’ to consider an EV for their next purchase vs. 21% among those who currently own mass market vehicles.”
- (But) the year-over-year increase in those who say they are ‘very likely’ to consider an EV is up six percentage points among owners of mass market vehicles and up one percentage point among owners of premium vehicles.
- Nearly one-third (30%) of rejecters cite a lack of information as a reason for their lack of consideration. Because firsthand experience with EV technology is still not entirely commonplace, shoppers need to be better informed about the ownership experience they offer.
- Some 31% of those in the West say they are ‘very likely’ to consider an EV. Surprisingly, the South (26%) tops the Northeast (22%) among those who say they are ‘very likely’ to consider an EV. The (Midwest) is at 22%.”
The study is based on responses from 10,030 consumers from February through April 2022, the release said.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.