Survey: Electric vehicle expectations out of touch with reality

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A global survey conducted by the folks over at international consulting firm Deloitte shows that the current batch of electric vehicles do not meet consumers' expectations. Or, to look at the results from a different perspective, it shows that consumers' expectations are out of touch with reality.

Australia-based Deloitte Motor Industry Services says the vast majority of survey respondents demand electric vehicles that simply don't exist. For example:
  • 68 percent of respondents say electric vehicles must have a range of at least 200 miles.
  • 58 percent of respondents demand a vehicle that charges from empty to full in two hours or less.
  • In the U.S., 57 percent of respondents aren't willing to pay a premium for an electric vehicle, compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle.
  • 44 percent of Australian consumers expect to pay less than $21,690 (U.S.) for an electric vehicle.
Deloitte wraps up the report by saying that if vehicles with internal combustion engines averaged 50 miles per gallon, then 54 percent of the 12,000 consumers surveyed would be "much less" interested in electric vehicles, which seems to imply that, come 2025, when CAFE standards hit 54.5 mpg, interest in electric vehicles could dwindle. Of course, by then, an EV that meets the currently unrealistic desires mentioned above will most likely exist.




[Source: Ward's Auto – sub. req.| Images: Copyright 2011 Jeff Glucker / AOL]

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