The following questions were directed specifically to electric vehicle owners Motivators and Challenges in Owning an Electric Vehicle Illustrated in Figure 38), EV owners were asked to rate motivators to purchasing an EV and challenges to being an EV Owner from 1 (not important/not a challenge) to 5 (extremely important/extremely challenging). The biggest motivator by a considerable margin was to reduce one’s impact on the environment (4.9). Other motivators that scored relatively high included increases in driving range (3.9), availability of public charging (3.8), and saving money on gas (3.7) and maintenance costs (3.5). The least important motivators were public image (2.1) and smoothness/quiet ride (2.3). As for challenges, respondents were most concerned with the limited options for towing and off-road activities, which is prevalent as most current EVs are small passenger cars. This should become less prevalent as EV trucks and other commercials vehicles begin to reach the market. Access and cost of public charging are also seen as moderate barriers (3.0). That said, installation and cost of a home charger are not seen as challenges (1.3).
Figure 38 – Motivators and Challenges for Electric Vehicle Owners
Penticton CCAP
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