Most Chinese Prefer Electric Vehicles

This percentage is nearly five times higher than any other country surveyed, including the US, Japan, Germany, the UK, Italy and France. The survey canvassed the views of one thousand vehicle owners and those that plan to purchase within three years, from across China.

Commenting on the findings, Mike Hanley, Ernst & Young Global Automotive Leader, said that the large portion of consumers in China indicating a strong interest in purchasing a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle, especially for a powertrain technology which is not yet widely available, should be affirming news for automotive manufacturers in China and internationally that are planning to release electric vehicles into the market late in 2010 and early 2011.

Survey results indicate that key factors favorably influencing the purchase decision process in China include fuel savings, environmental impacts, safety and government incentives. Among these, respondents in China rated environmental impacts and safety higher than any other country. Conversely, battery driving range, access to charging stations, reliability and safety were noted as key areas of concern by respondents.

On a related note, 60% of survey respondents in China indicated a willingness to help pay for charging stations within their community – a portion significantly higher than most countries surveyed.  When asked which specific locations would offer convenient re-charging access, 76% indicated conventional roadside recharging locations, 46% indicated residential and apartment communities and 34% indicated large public parking places near places of business.

Key survey findings:

•  Roughly 60% of the survey participants said they would consider a plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle purchase.
•  65% of survey participants said they would subsidize local charging stations – nearly twice the portion of other countries surveyed.
•  No other plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle incentive or benefit is considered nearly as important as saving money on fuel.
•  Among several considerations, access to charging stations, battery driving range, reliability and serviceability, and safety are the four most significant consumer concerns
•  82% of respondents consider a range per charge of less than 200 miles to be acceptable.

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