Half of car buyers say electric car must have 300 miles of rangeHalf of car buyers say electric car must have 300 miles of range

The Tesla Model 3 and 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars are set to make 200-mile ranges attainable for a much larger number of buyers than today’s $72,000-plus Tesla Model S.
But according to one new study, that may not be enough.
A survey by a U.S. national lab showed that many consumers won’t consider an electric car unless it has even greater range.
DON’T MISS: Tesla Model 3 depositors vs Chevy Bolt EV: sea change or double standard?
The study looked at current consumer views of electric cars, and was conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Range is apparently still an issue for many consumers, with 56 percent of respondents saying cars must have 300 miles of range before they would even consider purchasing one.
In addition, 53 percent would need a guarantee that they could consistently park their cars near electrical outlets at home.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
There’s better news, too: 52 percent of respondents said electric cars were “just as good as or better than” gasoline cars.
The survey sample included 1,015 households, 60 percent of which owned two or more vehicles.
While range was a factor, the study also seemed to indicate that knowledge is power when it comes to electric-car adoption.
ALSO SEE: Is group buying the key to boosting electric-car adoption?
Respondents who were aware of accessible public charging stations were more likely to view electric cars positively and consider purchasing one, according to the study.
Those who were able to name one of the top nine best-selling models were also more likely to take a positive view of electric cars.
However, only 48 percent of respondents were able to name a specific electric-car make and model at all.
2016 Nissan Leaf
Just 24 percent said they would consider or expect to purchase or lease an electric car as their next vehicle.
While boosting the range of mainstream electric cars to 300 miles may be a difficult task, the study indicates that electric-car advocates could still make progress by raising awareness.
MORE: Electric Cars: What’s Needed To Eliminate Gasoline, Diesel In 25 Years (May 2015)
Respondents’ lack of knowledge of electric-car models, and questions about charging infrastructure, indicate these is still some work to be done in this area.
Indeed, electric-car advocates have expressed profound dissatisfaction with the five years of marketing done to explain their electric cars by Nissan, General Motors, and other makers of plug-in vehicles.
The NREL plans to repeat this study annually to track changes in consumer perception of electric cars.
_______________________________________________
Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter

View original article at:  “https://www.greencarreports.com//news/1103394_half-of-car-buyers-say-electric-car-must-have-300-miles-of-range”