Photo: geralt
When it comes to buying a new car, many Canadian shoppers are less inclined to go green behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. According to the J.D. Power 2020 Q1 Mobility Confidence Index Study, 67 percent of Canadians have not driven an EV. Plus, Canadians are losing confidence in both EVs and self-driving vehicles with points dipping from 59 to 57 and 39 to 36, respectively on the survey’s 100-point scale, reports Driving.ca writer Alex Reid. This lack of confidence is at significant odds with automakers who are focusing on EVs in their future lineups.
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“Frankly, we’re concerned for automakers,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and human machine interface research at J.D. Power. “They’re pushing forward with technology that consumers seem to have little interest in. Nor are they making the strides needed to change people’s minds.”
According to survey respondents, the lack of confidence in EVs stems from little to zero knowledge of the technology — 19 percent of those surveyed said they aren’t versed in EVs — and the worry that discarded batteries used to power EVs will harm the environment as they rot in landfills.
“Even previous owners of electric vehicles said they wouldn’t buy one again because of high maintenance costs, steeper purchase prices, limited battery ranges, and poor performance in cold weather,” reports Reid.
It will take a lot of work, not only from the automakers but from improvements in infrastructure that support EV-driving lifestyles to encourage more drivers to make the switch.
Reid considers charging station availability, purchase price, and the driving range of EVs to be the three most common barriers to the widespread adoption of EVs in Canada.
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A SurveyMonkey Audience survey propelled this year’s 2020 Q1 Mobility Confidence Index Study from J.D. Power.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.
