More and more people are switching from combustion engine cars to electric cars. And the good news is that according to a new study, it is very (very) unlikely that these people will return to thermal engines later. This study was carried out by GEVA or Global EV Alliance, of which the French Federation of Electric Vehicle User Associations is a member.
The alliance surveyed 23,254 electric car drivers in 18 countries, including France, Germany and the United States. And 92% (weighted result) of respondents indicated that if they had to replace their electric car, it would be with another electric car. There is also a 4% share of respondents who indicated that they would replace their electric car with a hybrid car. And only 1% would go to gasoline or diesel engines.
“This is a remarkably high number and the results confirm that drivers love the EV experience and that EVs are here to stay”says Joel Levin, president of GEVA and director of Plug In America, a non-profit organization based in the United States.
Climate is not the main reason
The GEVA alliance also says that 90% of respondents believe climate change is a big problem. However, when it asked respondents about the main reason that pushed them to buy an electric car, the climate came in second place. Indeed, the main reason would be the reduced operating cost.
“This should open the eyes of policymakers around the world. While a vibrant electric vehicle market is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport, achieving this goal depends on making EVs even more affordable for everyone.said Ellen Hiep, board member of the Dutch Electric Vehicle Drivers Association, which is a member of the GEVA alliance.
Where do people charge their vehicles?
Otherwise, the study also reveals that electric vehicle charging is mainly done at home. It also indicates that the main disadvantage of the electric car remains the limited availability of fast chargers, despite the improvements observed in recent years.
Note that Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, reacted to this study in a publication on the social network “In the future, 99% of cars will be electric and autonomous,” he wrote. According to this one, driving a gasoline car will be like riding a horse or using an old flip phone: “It still happens, but it’s rare.”
- The GEVA alliance carried out a survey of electric car drivers in 18 countries, including France
- 92% of respondents would still buy an electric car if they had to change vehicles
- Only 1% would go to gasoline or diesel
- Limited availability of fast chargers remains the main disadvantage of the electric car
