The
share of consumers eyeing the purchase of a fully electric
vehicle has grown significantly, according to an annual survey
by OC&C Strategy Consultants, released on Monday exclusively to
Reuters. http://bit.ly/BatteryLateThanNever
It surveyed more than 7,500 global consumers between December
and January. OC&C did not receive external funding for the
study, its lead author Felicity Latcham said.
The shift in attitudes comes at a crucial time for the auto
industry, which is releasing a growing number of electric models
in a race to comply with stricter CO2 emission targets and catch
up with Tesla Inc, which has captured the EV market.
In the UK, France and Italy, more than half of consumers said
they would consider a battery-powered vehicle as their next
purchase, while in Germany and the U.S. nearly half of
respondents said so, the survey showed. That represents a marked
increase from last year, particularly in the UK and the U.S.,
where willingness to buy electric increased 81 and 61 percent,
respectively.
But consumers remain wary about the price of battery-powered
cars, which are generally more expensive than their combustion
engine counterparts.
While concerns over EV range and charging infrastructure have
decreased compared to last year, the overall cost of EVs
represents the largest barrier to consumers considering a
battery-powered car, according to the survey.
Of the consumers likely to buy an EV, 69% said they would not
pay more than a $500 premium compared to a gasoline-powered car
- an unlikely scenario without government subsidies.
Countries with purchase incentives have seen a faster uptick in
EV sales and European countries have introduced several generous
incentives.
Boosting EV ownership is also at the heart of the U.S.
administration's infrastructure plan, which would provide $100
billion in additional EV rebates and $15 billion to build
500,000 new charging stations.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon; editing by Diane Craft)
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