Do owners of electric vehicles revert to using gasoline-powered generators? According to a recent California survey, nearly 20% of EV owners will go back to conventional combustion engines. The study notes unequivocally that owners return to electric vehicles due to a lack of charging infrastructure. California is one of the most EV-friendly states in the country, which paints a bleak picture for states lacking EV infrastructure.
We get a good picture of long-term electric vehicle ownership satisfaction in California between 2012 and 2018 thanks to a study conducted by Scott Hardman and Gil Tal for the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
“Here, on the basis of findings from five questionnaire surveys, we find that PEV discontinuance occurs at a rate of 20% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners and 18% for battery electric vehicle owners in California,” according to the study’s abstract. We found that discontinuance is linked to frustration with charging convenience, having other less powerful vehicles in the household, not having level 2 (240-volt) charging at home, having less household vehicles, and not being male.”
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So, what does this mean for plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) in the future? Based on the findings, we need to take a close look at the country’s charging infrastructure. It seems that no matter how good a product is, if there isn’t a supporting infrastructure in place, many consumers would opt for something more convenient.
When it comes to this data collection, the most important thing to keep in mind is its age. The charging network in America has expanded significantly in the three years since the study’s conclusion. Infrastructure is widely acknowledged as the weak point of an all-electric future, and many businesses and organisations are working to develop it. We anticipate a promising future for electric vehicles and rapid expansion of America’s charging infrastructure.
