New SECC report shows growing interest in electric vehicles

A new report by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) shows a growing interest in electric vehicles among Americans.

The report — called Electric Vehicles: Driving the Customer Experience – found that 41 percent of owners of gas-powered vehicles said they are very or somewhat likely to consider an all-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle the next time they purchase a car.

It also found that current owners of EVs are overwhelmingly satisfied with their cars – giving them an average satisfaction score of 8.9 out of 10.

For non-EV owners, there is a knowledge gap about EVs and their batteries and charging infrastructure. Only 26 percent have a friend or family member with an EV, while only 17 percent have ridden in one, and only 9 percent have driven one.

About half of those who said they are unlikely to consider an EV for their next car said they are “concerned that the battery will not have enough range to get me to where I need to go.” Further, 48 percent expressed concerns about maintenance and battery costs, while 47 percent were worried that the battery would not be reliable or leave them stranded.

The lack of knowledge among non-EV owners presents an opportunity for electricity providers and other industry stakeholders to provide education.

In addition, it revealed that EV owners are much more interested in smart home devices and energy efficiency. About 34 percent of EV owners have smart appliances compared to 14 percent for the general population. Further, 16 percent own a home energy management system compared to four percent of the general population.

When asked about reasons to save energy at home, the environmental benefits (83 percent vs. 68 percent), concern for future generations (82 percent vs. 65 percent), and social responsibility (80 percent vs. 62 percent) play more of a role for EV owners than for the general population.

The findings were developed from an online survey of 1,750 consumers across the United States.