According to a study from the ‘Drive Change. Drive Electric.’ campaign, millennials appear to be more accepting of electric cars than baby boomers in the Northeast even though both demographics acknowledge electric cars are the future. While more than half of all people surveyed are considering an electric, this increases to 63 percent when considering only Millennials and falls to 38 percent with Baby Boomers alone. If either group follows through on its level of interest in electric vehicles, the Northeast will see a huge spike in electric vehicle sales, which currently make up about two percent of new vehicle purchases in the region.
While there are still some barriers and misperceptions to address, there are also key findings from the study that inspire confidence that electric cars are on track to become the norm for drivers of all ages. Both Millennials and Boomers overwhelmingly agree—despite some stark generational differences on electric car knowledge—electric is the future of automobiles. Both generations are also eager to see more electric vehicle models introduced.
The study also gleaned important information about purchase motivators and barriers for electric cars. One of the biggest purchase motivators for both generations (Baby Boomers – 81 percent; Millennials – 84 percent) is the national and state financial incentive programs which includes tax credits and rebates.
One of the biggest barriers to purchase, regardless of age, is that people are worried there is a lack of charging infrastructure. In the Northeast, 83 percent of people surveyed believe that there are not enough charging stations available – more Baby Boomers (87 percent) agree with this than Millennials (79 percent). However, almost half of the survey respondents have noticed an increase of available charging stations in their local areas.
Study Stats
- Electric cars are on the brink of an ‘electric boom’: Only three percent of Northeasterners are currently driving an electric vehicle, however 52 percent are considering an electric vehicle as their next purchase.
- Availability of charging stations is the number one concern of drivers: 83 percent say there are not currently enough charging locations for electric vehicles but encouragingly, nearly 50 percent have noticed more electric vehicle charging stations in their area over the past year.
- There is a real question mark around electric driving distances: 81 percent of Northeast motorists are concerned about the distance you can drive an electric vehicle before needing to re-charge.
- A cost dilemma faces potential electric car buyers: Despite two in three Northeasterners (64 percent) believing electric vehicles will allow them to save money overall, 85 percent cite the high upfront costs as a barrier.
- The electric car knowledge gap is gender blind: More than half (53 percent) of Northeasterners don’t feel knowledgeable about electric vehicles and this is particularly high among women (64 percent).
- There are positive indicators that electric is here to stay: 60 percent of Northeasterners say their household is more likely to consider an electric vehicle today versus a year ago. 82 percent of Northeasterners want to see more types of electric vehicles available in the marketplace.
- The drive to reduce our environmental footprint: 88 percent of Northeasterners want to reduce their vehicle emissions footprint and three in four acknowledge that gas powered vehicles are becoming antiquated.
- The rise of local charging stations visibility will drive electric consideration greatly: 80 percent of Northeasterners would be more likely to consider EVs if there were more charging stations available in their area.
For even more electrifying facts and insights, visit Drive Change. Drive Electric.