Consumers Want Local Utilities to Take Charge of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging, but Don't Know if They Can

LIVONIA, MI—September 29, 2013: New E2 (Energy + Environment) research from Market Strategies International finds that American consumers are becoming less optimistic about electric vehicles (EVs) and their expectations of EV ownership, in great part due to concerns about battery life and recharging infrastructure. Currently, 48 percent of respondents do not think they will be driving an electric vehicle within the next ten years, while 41 percent consider themselves likely to do so. Two years ago in a similar survey, 46 percent said they would likely drive an EV within a decade.

“Past E2 surveys have identified practical considerations, such as battery life and charging infrastructure, as important consumer concerns,” said Jack Lloyd, senior vice president, Energy Division at Market Strategies. His team works with 20 of the top 30 regulated energy utilities in the United States and conducts a nationally based benchmarking service. “Now that EVs are not just futuristic concepts but actual products available in the marketplace, these considerations seem more tangible and are having a more pronounced effect on purchase interest.”

Still, about two-thirds (66%) of respondents agree that their local electric utility “should begin working and investing now to assure that the needed infrastructure will be in place for convenient recharging of electric vehicles,” but 58% don’t know whether their utility has the technical capabilities to make it happen.

“Interestingly, consumers seem to be getting less inclined to invest in an electric vehicle for their own use, but many do want their local electric utilities to support the development of an electric vehicle market,” added Lloyd. “Only one in five consumers thinks that their utility is a meaningful source of information on the vehicles themselves, but more than half think that utilities should be building EV charging infrastructure, introducing subsidized EV charging rates and working with governments to implement pro-EV policies.”

Lloyd will co-host a webinar with colleague Jason Stephenson on the latest E2 results from 2–3 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 10.