Seven out of ten Americans say that it is important to expand the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil, according to results from the latest Market Strategies International E2 (Energy + Environment) Study. However, while 70 percent agree that is important to expand the use of EVs, fewer than half (43 percent) see themselves personally driving one in the next ten years.
Market Strategies' E2 (Energy + Environment) Study is a national survey designed to gain an understanding of Americans' attitudes and opinions about energy and environmental issues and how they intersect.
"The findings are enlightening," said Jack Lloyd, a vice president in the Energy Division at Market Strategies. "Respondents clearly see the importance of EVs but don't necessarily see themselves driving one in the immediate future. The reason may be 'range anxiety.'"
"Range anxiety" is the concern about a vehicle's range and/or battery life ¡ª i.e., how far and for how long it can travel. Concerns about range and/or battery life were the most frequently mentioned potential roadblocks to the success of EV adoption according to 28 percent of the survey respondents.
"Clearly, the automotive industry has to remove 'range anxiety' from the equation before it can expect wide acceptance of EV technology," said Lloyd.
The respondents cited several other roadblocks to be overcome before EVs could be successful, including:
Respondents also were strongly supportive of the U.S. energy industry taking steps to accommodate electric vehicles in the future.
This latest version represents the ninth wave of the long-term survey. For this most recent version, a total of 1,168 interviews were completed October 14 through October 25, 2010 with consumers nationwide. The respondents were recruited via an online panel to reflect key characteristics of the U.S. population. The data have been weighted to bring the sample characteristics into even closer alignment with the population and to reflect the U.S. Census demographics.
