There appears to be a significant gap between people’s acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs) and their desire to actually drive one, according to a recent Ford report.
The Ford 2024 Trent Report revealed that 47 percent of the people surveyed worldwide said more people should drive EVs, but just 4 percent of them said they are ready to own a battery-electric vehicle, Wards Auto reports.
“It’s sort of do-as-I say,” Jennifer Brace, Ford’s chief futurist, said during an online presentation of findings to the Society of Automotive Analysts.
While the general belief is that car buyers would consider purchasing an EV at some point, research showed that many potential buyers are holding off until the EV ownership base increases. Almost 60 percent of men (58%) and 54 percent of women said they are putting off buying an EV until they see more people do so—despite 60 percent of respondents saying they expect to see an all-EV future, according to Brace.
“But 69% said they expect to see an all-electric future,” Brace said.
Why people are hesitant to buy EVs
Wanting to see more people buy an EV before they take the leap is just one reason for the gap between their predictions for the EV market and actual purchases. Range anxiety is another big one, Wards Auto reports. Almost 80 percent of the Ford Trend Report respondents said the lack of a widespread EV charging infrastructure has cooled their enthusiasm to shift to electric. The responses come as the number of available EV charging stations has increased, however.
“The responses don’t reflect that, though,” Brace said.
Ford surveyed 16,000 adults over the age of 18 in 16 countries for its report. In addition to the EV-related questions, respondents were asked about topics unrelated to vehicles, but could still impact their car-buying decisions. Such topics included anxiety levels, work-life balance and views on artificial intelligence’s (AI) increased presence.
The automaker’s planners and strategists inquired about these topics hoping the report’s findings may generate a focused deep dive into consumer research. In terms of AI, 60 percent of respondents believe that it will be an essential part of their lives by 2035. Fifty-one percent admitted they were afraid of AI—an 11-point jump from 2019.
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