Buyers Still Wary of Electric Cars Due to Gaps in Knowledge

Sales of electric vehicles (EV) continue to rise in the United States. However, the number of EV sales continues to lag far behind the sales of traditional cars with gas engines. Consumer Reports states that 361,307 electric cars were sold in 2018. That's a considerable increase over the 199,826 sold in 2017.

But that's just a fraction of the total 17 million cars and light trucks purchased in the U.S. every year. While EVs are anticipated to surpass gas-powered car purchases in the second half of the decade, the majority of car buyers still remain wary of making the change from a vehicle that burns fossil fuels to one powered by electrically charged batteries.

Studies show that consumers still demonstrate a considerable knowledge gap regarding electric cars. Questions like how long does it take to charge a Tesla vehicle is a common example. Another frequent question is the cost of charging an EV. Some people wonder if they are capable of operating well in cold climates. Others wonder if there are enough charging stations along roadways or city streets to juice up electric cars when they are low on power.

A recent study by Autolist identified three major concerns that prevent people from considering the purchase of an electric vehicle. It's interesting to note that the three primary doubts given about electric cars are largely myths.

The first major concern is the range of electric vehicles. How far can an EV go on a single charge? That varies somewhat depending on the price and model. But 250 miles is a fairly standard distance on one charge for an electric car in the $25,000 to $35,000 price range. As examples, the Chevy Bolt has a 259 miles range, and the Tesla Model S Long Range will go 373 miles. A gas-powered vehicle has an average 300-mile range on one tank of fuel.

The next most common inhibiting factor is concern over price. The majority of people interviewed believed that electric cars were far more expensive than traditional cars. This is somewhat true, but it is not the whole picture. The average sticker price of an EV is $55,600, according to Cox Automotive. But a Chevy Bolt can be had for about $36,600.

The cost of driving an electric car is cheaper, however. A 2018 study by the University of Michigan showed that electric cars cost about half as much to operate each year when compared with a gas-powered car. The average cost for an EV is $485 per year while a gas-powered car was determined to be $1,117.

A third major factor that hinders the sale of electric cars in the belief that there are not enough charging stations. This is a reasonable concern depending upon where a driver lives. Today there are about 1.2 million charging stations in the United States. But that number varies widely depending on the state you live in. Keep in mind that 80% of EV owners charge their vehicles at home most of the time, so this mitigates the concern somewhat.

The state with the largest number of charging stations per resident is Vermont with 165 charging stations. That's one station each for 3,780 residents. The worst is Alaska which is a huge state but supports just nine charging stations, according to Forbes. But even these figures don't tell the whole story. A state with fewer stations may serve the population well depending on factors like distribution.

A number of variables are still significant when considering the efficacy of electric cars as compared to gas cars, but these factors continue to be mitigated as the EV industry advances.