Electric Vehicle Models That EV Owners Considered But Didn’t Buy

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Perhaps the most fascinating new question in this year’s Electric Car Drivers: Demands, Desires & Dreams report concerned the electric vehicles people considered but didn’t buy. We asked EV owners which other electric vehicle models they considered before deciding on the one they purchased or leased. I was surprised to see how much people actually cross-shopped across classes while considering which electric vehicle to buy.

Many buyers — Tesla drivers, non-Tesla BEV drivers, and PHEV drivers in the USA, Canada, and the UK — considered the Nissan LEAF and BMW i3 (more so the LEAF). In the UK, it was common to consider the Renault Zoe, and in the US & Canada, it was common to consider the Chevy Bolt and Chevy Volt.

Some additional comparisons common for specific groups were as follows:

• Many British Tesla buyers (Model 3 and Model X owners) also considered the Model S.
• Many British non-Tesla BEV buyers also considered the Hyundai Ioniq EV.
• Many British respondents also considered the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
• Many North American Tesla buyers (Model 3 and Model X owners) also considered the Tesla Model S.
• Many North American non-Tesla BEV buyers also considered the Tesla Model 3.
• A fair number of North American plug-in hybrid buyers also considered the Toyota Prius Prime and the Tesla Model 3.

Also, interestingly, a high portion of US and Canadian Tesla drivers didn’t compare the vehicle they bought with any other EV. That was an interesting and surprising result. I presume they simply knew they wanted a Tesla (for the various reasons people want a Tesla) and knew without having to do much thinking that they wanted either an SUV (Model X), large sedan (Model S), or more affordable car (Model 3). Whatever the reason, 48% of US Tesla drivers indicated they didn’t compare the vehicle they bought with any other EV, compared to 23% of non-Tesla BEV drivers and 24% of plug-in hybrid buyers saying the same.

The EV drivers didn’t only cross-shop other electric vehicles, though. In another first for 2019, we asked if the respondents considered buying a non-electric vehicle (“fuel vehicle”).

Interestingly, 20% of Tesla buyers in both the US and UK considered buying a gasoline vehicle, 19% of non-Tesla BEV buyers in the US did so, 16% of non-Tesla BEV buyers in the UK did so, 27% of PHEV buyers in the US did so, and 29% of PHEV buyers in the UK did so.

For more, see: Electric Car Drivers: Demands, Desires & Dreams (2019).

Related: “Tesla Model 3 & Tesla Model Y Most Likely Next EVs Of EV Owners In USA, Canada, & UK — CleanTechnica Report.”

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CATL and Volta generously sponsored this report. However, they did not have any influence over what was written in the report. Here’s a bit more about these two EV-related companies:

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (“CATL”) is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of lithium-ion power and energy storage batteries, with businesses covering R&D, manufacturing and sales in battery systems for new energy vehicles and energy storage systems. In 2018, the company’s sales reached 21.31 GWh worldwide, which was leading in the world (according to SNE Research).

Founded in 2010 out of a passion for advancing transportation, Volta has mastered the art and science of developing cutting-edge electric vehicle charging networks. Volta is accelerating the electric vehicle movement by providing seamless, simple, and free charging experiences. Thoughtfully located along the paths of our busy lives, Volta chargers are the most used in the industry. With the support of forward-thinking brand partners, Volta delivers free charging solutions to real estate owners, power to the electric vehicle community, and impactful brand stories to everyone.