Recent Survey Shows Consumers Want Plug-In Hybrids

By Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday

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Eric Loveday is a car enthusiast with a love for everything automotive. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering... More

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1,058 views Sep 14, 2009

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A recent survey from Pike Research indicates that plug-in hybrids are one of the most highly anticipated new products in any category in years.

The study shows that 48 percent of Americans would have a definite interest in purchasing a plug-in hybrid with a range of at least 40 miles in electric only mode.  According to the survey, 48 percent of respondents said they would be "extremely" or "very" interested in purchasing a PHEV with the range listed above.

The survey conducted by Pike was a web-based survey with 1,041 respondents.  Out of those responding, 82 percent said they drive 40 miles or less per day with a total average driving distance of only 27 miles daily.  The numbers suggest that Chevy was right on with its range calculations for the Volt.

Additional findings from the survey include

85 percent of consumers stated that improved fuel efficiency would be an important factor when choosing their next vehicle.

65 percent of survey respondents interested in PHEVs expressed a willingness to pay a premium price, over and above the price of a standard gasoline vehicle, with an average premium of 12 percent.

Consumers indicated that the availability of workplace, private, and public vehicle charging stations in their local area would be very important.

79 percent of consumers would be interested in investing in a fast-charging outlet for their home; however, willingness to pay is out of line with industry expectations.

Though the survey may have a slight bias due to web savvy participants typically showing a stronger interest in advanced technologies than non web savvy individuals, the results provide a basic insight into what potential EV and PHEV buyers expect in terms of range, affordability, and infrastructure requirements of such vehicles.

Source:  Pike Research, GM-Volt.com