According to the most recent survey conducted by Ernst and Young Global Automotive Center, 60% of Chinese respondents in China states that they’re considering the possibility of purchasing a plug-in hybrid or fully-electric car. Noticeably, this is almost five times bigger than what respondents in Japan, the UK, Germany, and the US revealed.
Ernst and Young’s survey covered the globe with China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan as its respondents. For this survey, Young asked 1,000 vehicle owners about their willingness to purchase an alternative fuel vehicle within the next three years.
These surveys were done to help out Ernst and Young’s powertrain initiatives. The company plans to focus on business opportunities and issues which companies may face due to the development of eco-friendly alternative transportation solutions. The survey was also specifically designed to measure consumers’ interest and certain decision factors regarding the purchase of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
The survey also revealed important factors which displayed China’s purchasing attitude. For one, the lead factor that influences their purchase is saving money. This was followed by the car’s environmental impact (86%), the safety features (69%) and government incentives (60%). All seven countries who participated in the survey chose to buy EVs because of fuel saving opportunities.
According to the survey, consumers were also concerned about several things regarding the EV’s power supply (they’re not sports cars, are they?). The vehicle’s driving range was the top concern in China (73%), followed by the visibility of charging stations (69%), and the serviceability and reliability of the vehicle (64%) tied with safety (also at 64%).