Photo by Carolyn Fortuna/ CleanTechnica

The Media Has It Wrong: 92% Of Electric Vehicle Owners Worldwide Would Definitely Buy Another EV

December 28, 2024December 28, 202414 hours ago Carolyn Fortuna 0 Comments

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To our electric vehicle (EV) owners: If you found yourself with the choice to buy another EV or return to an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), which would you do?

Well, if you are like most participants in a recent study, you’d replace it with another EV.

Those are the results from a Global EV Alliance survey. The international non-profit network of 64 national EV drivers’ associations found that 92% of current owners would purchase another EV if given the opportunity.

The survey, which reached more than 23,000 EV owners from across 18 different countries, found that only 4% would replace their EV with a plug-in hybrid, and just 1% would choose an ICEV (a non-hybrid fossil-fueled car).

The survey was interesting because it supported a lot of what we’ve been writing about this year at CleanTechnica. Let’s do a deep dive into the survey questions and responses and determine what makes an EV owner so happy with their battery electric transportation.

Why Did You Choose to Buy an EV?

“Lower operating costs:” These include the cost of charging, which is typically cheapest at home (and overnight if one has time-of-use electricity pricing). And if one includes time costs, convenient home charging wins again and provides just more economic rationale for going electric.

“The EV is climate friendly:” The electricity system is built for the most demanding hour of the year, but during every other hour there’s excess capacity, and EVs can be programmed to avoid peak hours when the electrical grid is strained. In fact, more and more EV models now can restore electricity to the grid when demand peaks, supporting the grid and preventing blackouts.

“The EV is good for the local environment and makes less noise:” Based on where EVs have been sold, driving the average EV in the US produces global warming emissions equal to a hypothetical 94 mile per gallon gasoline car, or less than a third of the emissions of the average new gasoline car. Transportation is the largest sector for emissions, and passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs are the majority of transportation emissions. There is no way to slow down the climate crisis without a fundamental shift from petroleum to clean electricity to power our vehicles.

“I am interested in new technology:” Today, EVs have ample range (200–400 miles), plentiful remote charging infrastructure along major highway systems, cost one-third to operate compared to gas cars, and no longer require trips to the gas station or service centers for maintenance. Major automotive manufacturers are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to accelerate their EV offerings across all vehicle categories and motor types.

“Good driveability:” It’s fascinating to see for oneself EV progress “in the wild.” It’s even more impressive when you see one on your street or in your neighbor’s driveway! EVs are becoming so common that seeing one is not remarkable any longer. Largely, that’s due to the ease and enjoyment of driving one.

“Lower maintenance costs:” The time has come in which electric vehicle buyers should work the cost of ownership into their financial planning. The biggest strengths of EVs are their fuel and maintenance costs. Studies indicate that EVs consistently have lower maintenance costs than their ICE alternatives.

“EV policies/incentives:” There are many reasons for consumers to buy an EV right now. Buyers will save a bundle on fuel — home charging makes owning an EV reliable and affordable, and road trips in an EV are becoming easier. Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions — nearly three quarters of the GHG emissions from a gasoline vehicle come from the tailpipe during vehicle operation, and the planet really can’t take many more internal combustion engines if it is to thrive. Then again, if financial considerations are your main focus, the EV tax credit that is fleetingly available will have real meaning for you.

“Competitive sales price:” Prices are falling because of increased competition, lower raw material costs, and more efficient manufacturing. Cox Automotive says a second, significant wave of shoppers is ready to consider buying an electric car in the second half of this decade.

Where Do Current EV Owners Charge?

“Of all charging, 72% is done at home:” Level 1 charging utilizes a regular household 120 volt (V) outlet. This provides around 4 miles of range per hour of charging. Level 2 charging utilizes a 240V outlet, such as one used by an electric dryer. This level of charging provides around 25 miles of range per hour.

“13% fast charging:” Faster-charging and less expensive batteries with longer range are helping to push recharging along, with EV battery stakeholders working diligently on exponential improvements.

“7% public parking with charging:” Non-Tesla EV owners are keenly aware that learning to charge when on longer road trips is really different than stopping at a Tesla Supercharger. Each time an EV owner charges on the road they become more comfortable with charging platforms and their ins and outs. In this new world of EV charging, there are numerous variables to process: having the charging app loaded on the phone with credit card information; kW max at each station; availability of the stations or their need of repair; if the station can accommodate more than one EV charging at a time; the cost to charge and to hold the account with a minimum balance.

“7% work:” While it’s true that the majority of EV charging is done at a combination of homes, shopping sites, and other Level 2 charging stations, many employees also depend on being able to add electrons while they’re at their place of employment. As reported here at CleanTechnica and elsewhere, the nation’s EV charging station network has experienced plenty of bumps along the road to full build-out, and sometimes workplace EV charging stations aren’t as reliable as they should be. If they operate inefficiently, it’s stressful — employees can’t always be confident they’ll be able to charge their cars when they reach their firm.

“1% other private:” Automakers are beginning to improve the public charging experience with lounge-like, comfort stations where drivers can relax. As EV charging stations become ubiquitous, competition for which providers offer the best amenities while the charging occurs will become common. Like airport lounges, the executive EV charging station of the future will offer services well beyond electrons. With those options will come differing types of amenities, based on various levels of pricing.

What Issues Continue to Bother EV Owners?

“The EV is not sufficient as the only car in the household:” Effective EV outreach programs prioritize proactively visiting and interacting with rural, low-income, and underserved communities as the first step in removing barriers and making clean transportation accessible to all.

“Charging queues:” EV sales are outpacing the growth of chargers, which is causing problems for everyday EV drivers. (Though, there is actually debate on this topic, depending on which data you look at.) The US needs to build out its EV charging capacity in order to reach the point where everyone who wants to drive an EV has the electrification to do so — on urban and rural roads, in busy communities and suburbs, in nearly any major intersection where you’d expect to find a gas station.

“It requires too much planning:” For local driving, an EV suffices with overnight charging in your garage. You never have to visit a mechanic’s smelly garage for an emissions check. For cross-country driving, though, an EV will only take a little longer for 500 miles a day because much of your charging time is spent during bathroom and meal breaks. However, a 1500-mile trip will definitely take longer in an EV.

Final Thoughts about EV Owners Who’d Buy an EV Again

Naomi Cole and Joe Wachunas nicely summed up the joy in owning an EV on CleanTechnica a few months ago.

“Now that we’ve been proud EV owners for seven years, we can’t imagine returning to the loud engines and smoking tailpipes fueling the climate crisis. We won’t even rent a gas car when traveling and have had great luck renting electric vehicles…. With EVs you can enjoy the convenience of personal vehicles, save money, and stop emitting pollution from your tailpipe. Win, win, win.”