The vast majority of electric vehicle owners will not go back to traditional gas-powered cars, according to a survey commissioned by Ford Motor
A full 92 percent of battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers will stay with electric when they buy another vehicle, according to the survey. The news was first reported by Clean Technica (via Green Car Reports). The report noted that the percentage for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owners is even higher: 94 percent.
The survey polled 10,000 electric vehicle owners, Ford said.
Of the 92 percent of BEV drivers who said they would buy another EV, the primary choice was another BEV, according to the report. Ford cited upsides such as “instant power” as well as “an appreciation of clean technology.” And PHEV owners were “more inclined” to switch to BEV for their next electric car.
But that doesn’t mean that the households surveyed are EV only. Among EV owners, the second car tended to be a traditional gas-engine vehicle, the report said. Those gas-powered cars were used for longer trips. But Ford asserts that improvements in battery range for BEVs will push more EV owners to replace their gas car with EV too.
Note that a report from Edmunds back in April seems to contradict the Ford data. The report said “car buyers are trading in hybrid and electric cars for SUVs at a higher rate than ever before.” But not everyone agreed with the analysis. “By lumping hybrids in with electric cars, the whole analysis is skewed,” said InsideEVs.
