Most Car Shoppers Aren't Aware of EV Rebates, Subsidies: Survey
According to a recent survey, 95 percent of U.S. car shoppers aren’t aware of state and local subsidies, rebates and other incentives related to plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
Over 2,000 drivers were surveyed across 21 cities in the U.S., showing that the vast majority of consumers are ignorant of the financial benefits in purchasing a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle. The report, titled “Perception and Reality: Public Knowledge of Plug-in Electric Vehicles in 21 U.S. Cities,” was conducted by John D. Graham, dean of the Indiana University Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs, along with Sanya Carley, Rachel Krause and Bradley Lane from the University of Kansas.
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The survey asked shoppers about electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, plug-in hybrids such as the Chevrolet Volt and even certain models of the Toyota Prius. Only two out of 758 of those surveyed that lived in areas where subsidies for home-charging equipment are offered were aware that they were available. In fact, the majority of car buyers couldn’t even answer basic questions regarding electric vehicles.
Perhaps a reason why the electric vehicle market is struggling to take off is simply from the lack of education and informing consumers of all their benefits
“If consumers believe they have higher purchase prices, higher fuel and maintenance costs and lower driving ranges than they actually do, they’re not going to shop for them when it comes time to buy a new car,” Carley said in a statement.
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[Source: Edmunds]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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