While most EV drivers primarily charge at home, the survey shows that having good coverage of fast chargers along the road is also important. Photo: Markus Rotevatn/Norwegian EV Association.
LOS ANGELES -- In a groundbreaking survey of more than 26,000 EV drivers across 30 countries, an overwhelming 77% say persistent myths about electric cars are the single biggest obstacle to EV adoption in their nations.
83% say they believe policy measures are needed to increase EV sales in their country.
“Misinformation about EVs is a serious challenge. It can make policymakers less confident that electric vehicles are a viable solution to climate change and local air pollution,” says Joel Levin, chair of GEVA and Director of Plug in America.
One common myth in many countries is that electric cars are a fire hazard. 88% of the EV drivers in the survey say they aren’t worried about their EV being a fire hazard.
“Myths clearly don’t affect existing EV drivers, as they know from experience that these myths are false. This highlights the importance of giving EV consumers a voice in the public debate to help counter such misconceptions,” says Levin.
Several findings from the survey highlight the importance of making EVs an affordable and economically attractive alternative to fossil fuel cars in order to accelerate adoption.
45% of respondents say that lower energy costs were one of the reasons they chose an EV. At the same time, 58% consider the purchase price of the car to be a barrier to EV adoption in their country.
“This is a clear message to policymakers who want to boost EV adoption: they need to implement consumer-focused policies aimed at making EVs the most affordable option,” says Ellen Hiep from the Dutch EV drivers’ association.
You can find the survey data at https://survey.globalevalliance.com, including both global aggregates and country-level results. The website allows you to compare data across countries and against global figures on multiple topics, such as charging, driver opinions, and demographic profiles.
