Survey says most car buyers unaware of EV incentives

An Indiana University study that surveyed some 2,000 drivers in 21 of America's largest cities finds that the general public is quite uninformed when it comes to incentives available when buying electric vehicles.

In a report on the IU study from The Detroit News, we find that some 95 percent of survey takers didn't know about incentives from state and local governments, including both rebates and incentives. Seventy-five percent of respondents were unclear about the fuel and maintenance cost savings that EVs could offer. What's more, of 758 persons that lived in areas that offer subsidies for home charging equipment, a paltry 2 people were aware that the financial aid existed.

With the apparent knowledge levels so low, it's understandable the immediate prospects for wider spread EV sales are not great. Said report co-author John D. Graham to The Detroit News, "What should be particularly troubling for plug-in electric vehicle proponents and manufacturers is that the respondents to our survey live in major urban areas, the places where PEVs make the most sense due to daily travel patterns."