Interesting survey done by Pike Research. I'm not willing to pay $2400 to buy the whole, but the executive summary was free. Relevant points (quoting Pike):
- Nearly three-fourths of respondents (74%) drive 40 miles or less to work daily and
therefore would be well served by a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) with a 40-mile
range. Survey participants stated that they drive an average of 22.2 miles to work per
day. Nearly all plug-in vehicles have been developed to exceed consumers’ daily driving
distance by providing a minimum of 30 miles of all-electric range under optimal
conditions. The exception is the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle, which has an
electric range of 15 miles. - 81% of respondents stated that improved fuel efficiency would be an important
factor when purchasing their next vehicle. This preference should serve as a good
foundation for consumer EV demand and should partially offset demand inhibitors such
as price sensitivity. - Fundamental interest in PEVs was strong among our survey participants, with
40% stating that they would be “extremely” or “very” interested in a plug-in hybrid or
all-electric vehicle with a range of 40 to 100 miles and an electricity cost equivalent of
$0.75 per gallon. - Levels of interest in EVs were not dramatically different between demographic segments
such as age, gender, income, and level of education, suggesting that these vehicles
should have solid mass-market appeal. That said, consumers under age 30 are
somewhat more likely to demonstrate interest in PEVs, as are people with higher levels
of education. - Pike Research’s price sensitivity analysis, utilizing the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity
Meter methodology, indicates that for a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE)
vehicle that would ordinarily cost $20,000, the optimal price point of a comparable PEV
would be $23,750 – a significant price premium. While this indicates an understanding
among consumers that PEVs will be priced at a premium, the amount is significantly less
than automakers’ intended prices. We believe that this gap between actual pricing and
consumer willingness to pay will be a significant inhibitor of demand for PEVs. - Our results indicated that one size does not fit all when it comes to consumer PEV
preferences. When asked to choose between five different PHEV and EV range/price
options, respondents did not state a clear preference for any one configuration. Of the
choices offered, the electric-only model with a 100-mile range of had the greatest number
of respondents showing interest with 24%. It is notable that another 25% of respondents
stated that they would not purchase any of the options provided. - A vast majority of survey respondents (80%) indicated that they would be “extremely” or
“very” interested in upgrading to a residential “fast-charging” EV charging unit that would
utilize the same amount of electricity but reduce charging times from 8 to 12 hours to 2 to
4 hours. - However, Pike Research’s survey results indicate that pricing is once again an issue with
fast-charging equipment. Although our analysis suggests that the first generation of
residential fast-charging equipment will cost between $500 and $800, only 28% of
panelists stated that they would be willing to pay $500 or more for this capability. The
average price consumers were willing to pay was $408. - PEV intenders in our survey expressed strong interest in workplace, private, and public
charging stations. The most popular choices for charging stations were the workplace
(74%) and roadside charging stations (82%).