EV drivers – who are you? Why are you? And after?

May 12, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

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Since 2016, CleanTechnica has published annual reports on drivers of electric vehicles, the electric vehicles they drive, what they plan to buy or rent, their load experiences, the features they are looking for in a vehicle, and Moreover. We also ask related questions to non-VE drivers. It's fascinating and we share the results with the CleanTechnica community once the complete scan is complete.

It's time for a new round of polls. With so many electric conductors this year, I am particularly pleased to see the results and see how they have evolved over time. I imagine that many of you are curious too.

If you are driving an electric car (or more than one car), we would be grateful if you would complete one or more of the following surveys (grouped by country):

USA and Canada

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

la France

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

Germany

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

Netherlands

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

Norway

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

United Kingdom and European countries not mentioned above

For Tesla drivers.

For hybrid plug-in drivers.

For 100% electrical conductors other than Tesla.

For people who do not drive an EV yet.

Share with your friends too!

Over the past two years, more than 2,000 electric vehicle drivers in nearly 30 countries have responded to our surveys (which are rather detailed). This has helped to raise the profile of the electric vehicle market around the world. This year we plan to increase the number of entries quite often and we will get more general data.

We have two major corporate sponsors this year, CATL, the EV battery giant, and Volta, the EV charge leader, have allowed us to conduct an extensive survey conducted by professionals, by random sampling, in the United States to compare it to our own investigations of EV drivers. Having these sponsors also allows us to collect more significant data from a few European countries: the Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. It will be quite fascinating to make in-depth comparisons of electric vehicle drivers in these different countries.

Special thanks to all those who responded to our surveys, you can receive the complete report for free once it has been written. Just send us a note once the survey is completed.

If you are new to CleanTechnica If you have not read all the articles we have published in the last 6 months, you can browse the archives of our EV 2018 Driver Report to explore previous results. (However, if you complete the 2019 survey, I have to ask you to complete the survey first.)

You can read the summary below to start this reading.

The electric transportation industry is one of the most fashionable industries in the world. Billions of dollars are invested in electric vehicle production projects, electric vehicle starts, battery suppliers, charging station managers, and so on. Some of the largest industries in the world are at the beginning of what appears to be a fast and dramatic shift to cars, buses, ships and planes that are fundamentally different (ultimately).

As far as electric cars are concerned, consumer choice is expanding every month, driving autonomy is improving every year and we are starting to see truly mass models. But various questions remain. What do electric car drivers and potential buyers want, demand and dream about? For the third year in a row, we looked at this issue in one of the most comprehensive surveys of electric vehicle drivers on the planet.

In early 2018, we surveyed more than 2,000 electric car drivers living in 25 countries (including 42 out of 50, 20 European countries, 5 Canadian provinces, Costa Rica and Australia), as well as over 1 000 potential buyers of electric cars in 37 countries (including 38 of the 50 US states, 30 European countries, 6 Canadian provinces, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Panama). We wanted to know what the first users of electric cars want and want from their next electric cars and charging networks for electric vehicles. We also wanted to know what the life of electric vehicles looked like up to now. In addition, we wanted to compare their interests, desires and demands to the interests, desires and demands of potential electric vehicle buyers.

The report segments responses by region (North America vs Europe) and according to three distinct electric vehicle groups: Tesla drivers, purely electric non-Tesla drivers and rechargeable hybrid drivers. This segmentation reveals clear differences on many topics, which makes sense given the wide variety of user experience for each type of virtual vehicle and for both regions.

Report lead designer Kamil Grzywacz from the Grinspire / Leonart agency

Range and batteries

One of the most fascinating topics to explore is the consumer's approach to scope (which mainly concerns the size of the battery). According to our surveys:

• The vast majority of Tesla drivers in North America (86%) and Europe (72%) expect their next electric car to have a range of over 400 km. For other groups, this segment> 250 miles was almost always the most supported segment, but the expectation of such a radius of action was not as dramatic.

• Non-Tesla drivers of 100% electric cars also chose this option more frequently in North America (43%) but not in Europe (24% chose> 250 km but 25% chose between 191 and 220 km).

• Rechargeable hybrid drivers also hoped to acquire a fully electric car with a range of> 250 km in North America (51%), but they were less concerned about this autonomy in Europe (43%).

• With respect to non-drivers of electric vehicles, 39% of North Americans reported needing more than 250 km of autonomy in a fully electric car, compared with 33.5% of Europeans.

The summary statistics on this topic do not do justice to the nuance, so skip to the chapter of the report on ranges for more details.

Autonomy

The ability to drive independently is all the hype, but how much do consumers of electric cars want or really need such features? According to our surveys, there is still a significant difference between what Tesla drivers want / expect and what other drivers of electric vehicles and potential buyers want / expect. When asked what specific characteristics were necessary or potentially necessary for the respondent to be able to choose an EV model instead of another EV model, here is how the responses broke down:

• Tesla Drivers in North America – 54%

• Tesla Drivers in Europe – 54%

• Pure electric pilots other than Tesla in North America – 26%

• Pure-EV non-Tesla drivers in Europe – 32%

• Hybrid plug-in drivers in North America – 32%

• Hybrid plug-in drivers in Europe – 15%

• Non-electric drivers in North America – 30%

• Non-electric drivers in Europe – 33%

When we looked in more detail at specific semi-autonomous driving functions, we found the greatest interest (by far) for autonomous cruise control, with the clear desire # 2 to be autosteer, then a lower interest but still noticeable for the parking functions. .

Solar and energy efficiency

Electric cars and solar energy seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Not surprisingly, compared to the wider market, a very high percentage of electric car drivers also have solar panels on their roofs. According to our surveys, here is how solar energy owners have broken down by segment:

• Tesla Drivers in North America – 31%

• Tesla Drivers in Europe – 24%

• Pure electric pilots other than Tesla in North America – 28%

• Pure-EV non-Tesla drivers in Europe – 32%

• Hybrid plug-in drivers in North America – 21%

• Hybrid plug-in drivers in Europe – 24%

• Drivers other than electric vehicles in North America – 13%

• Non-electric drivers in Europe – 21%

On the subject of energy efficiency – driving and at home – many respondents said that having an electric car allowed them to consume energy more efficiently or more cautiously . This is an important advantage and rarely studied or discussed electric cars. Not only are electric car transmissions much more efficient than gasoline or diesel transmissions, but electric cars also encourage their owners to think about their energy consumption and save a lot of money. energy throughout their day. Basically, we see the opposite of Jevon's paradox.

EV Models

Respondents to our surveys broke out in the same way as the entire electric car market, that it was electric cars that they were already driving or their next cars.

That means a lot of Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, Chevy Bolts, Chevy Volts and Renault Zoes. It also means a decent number of BMW i3, Tesla Model X and Tesla Model 3 (in North America).

Of course, in addition to the continued interest in these models, many people expect their next / first EV to be Tesla Model 3. A large number of them also indicated that they were waiting for Tesla Model Y. Another model that has attracted significant interest. Interestingly, in Europe, the Hyundai Kona EV. We hope that Hyundai is preparing to answer all these requests! Some other models also had a little consumer demand.

Notably, a fairly high percentage of respondents did not yet know which model they would buy next.

Charge

The most important change from the point of view of the consumer in this transition to electric transport is that drivers load their cars rather than fill them with liquid fuel. Most of the time, this is much more convenient – thanks to home and workplace charging – but also presents difficulties for long-distance travel and for households that do not have a home charge. or at work.

According to our surveys, electric vehicle drivers do not find public electric vehicle charging super convenient or reliable, but they rarely use it, as the vast majority of drivers use home loading. As more and more consumers enter the market for electric vehicles, a practical and reliable public pricing is expected to become much more important. We will see next year how this subject will evolve.

Advantages

Everything depends on the benefits, baby! Electric cars offer many advantages. Our report addresses the views of first electric car drivers and potential drivers on these benefits. One of the most interesting discoveries is the diversity of reasons that have driven people to opt for electricity. However, the environmental benefit is the one that stands out clearly from others.

Otherwise, some of the benefits of electric vehicles that were important to respondents varied according to the type of electric car they had. Tesla drivers were particularly inspired by the new technology of electric vehicles and their instantaneous torque. Interestingly, despite the initial price of a Tesla, these factors have also been seduced by the financial savings. However, in North America, drivers of pure electric vehicles other than Tesla and PHEV vehicles were much more attracted to financial savings. On the other hand, this advantage was such a powerful attraction for any segment of electric vehicles in Europe.

Vehicle class

The lack of consumer choice is one of the least talked about issues in the electric car market. Electric cars are not represented in all classes and there is in fact a shortage of options in some of the most popular classes. In particular, there is a strong demand for electric vehicles belonging to the SUV, CUV and classic car categories, but there are only a few options on the market in each of these categories, particularly in the most affordable segments.

Surprisingly, the segment most interested in electric vans was Tesla drivers in North America. Interest in this category of vehicles was followed by North American pure-EV drivers and North American plug-in hybrid drivers, respectively. There was virtually no interest in an electric van in Europe.

Special features

Various particularities are a big problem for some consumers, while others are not interested at all. In total, we found that consumers are looking for autonomous cruise control, live software updates, ultra-fast charging, fast charging, the ability to preheat or cool the car with an app smartphone, and the ability to check the state of charge on a smartphone app.

There is also strong demand from consumers for a handful of other features, and there is again a significant variation in preferences depending on the region and the type of respondents.

Demographics

Who are these first electric car enthusiasts? As you may have heard before, their income is well above average. That said, there is significant variation among the eight segments and one of the segments is extremely balanced between income levels.

Most of the respondents were men, but they were very divided between those who had children at home and those who did not.

In North America, about half of respondents lived in cities of 500,000 or more. In Europe, however, the vast majority lived in municipalities of less than 500,000 inhabitants. In particular, North American respondents were much more likely to live in cities of one million or more.

Keywords: Electric Vehicle Drivers, Electric Vehicle Surveys, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, United States