31% Of People Said They Wouldn't Get An Electric Car For This Reason - SlashGear Survey
Although electric vehicles (EVs) have a host of benefits attached, they also have some downsides that potential buyers need to consider before spending their money. On top of their actual downsides, EVs are still considered fairly new technology, which may be why some people still don't want to give them a try. We've asked our readers about the reasons why they wouldn't get an electric car, and thanks to our exclusive survey, we can now share the answers with you.
When thinking of EVs, it's hard not to picture a Tesla. These days, however, most automakers have put some stock into making electric cars, with brands like Ford, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, and Nissan all producing EVs. These vehicles are typically cheaper to run once you put up the initial cost of the purchase — paying for electricity should be less pricey than gasoline in nearly every part of the world, especially when you consider how unstable the prices of fuel tend to be. Electric cars are also much more environmentally friendly, which is why it's likely that in the future, their sales will continue increasing. Bloomberg says that by 2025, the sales of EVs will triple.
Despite these benefits and future projections, not everyone wants to own an EV, and many people prefer to stick to their traditional fuel-based cars for now. Here are some of the reasons why one might not want an EV.
Electric vehicles aren't for everyone
We've asked 605 of our readers, all based in the United States, what their top reason for not getting an electric car was. The responses were surprisingly close, and while one particular reason wins by a large margin, the three that follow are almost at the same level.
With 31.74% of all votes among our correspondents, the main reason not to get an EV was due to limited driving range. It's true that you won't be able to drive too far between one charge and the next: According to the Electric Vehicle Database, the average range for an EV is around 195 miles right now, but of course, some models offer more or less. This fear is not unwarranted, but 195 miles is still a fair enough distance to get most of us to work and back home.
Coming in second at 22.98% are costly battery replacements. Depending on the car make and model, replacing a battery can cost thousands of dollars, so again, this can be a problem — but so can the repairs of a regular car. The third place response is split between two reasons, both with 22.64%. Our readers worry that the electrical grid may be unable to handle a large influx of EVs, and the other group is unhappy with the charging time and speed. These are all valid reasons to think long and hard before buying an EV, especially with the rising prices of Tesla's to keep in mind.