But would-be EV buyers cite various conditions, ranging from generous tax breaks to easy access to charging points.
Seven out of 10 respondents say they would prefer plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles to full EVs. Sixty-one percent say they may buy an alternative-fuel vehicle within the next three years.
But first they want an improved charging infrastructure. Utility companies are the top choice among respondents for charging their EVs, the study says.
Seventy-seven percent say they would prefer buying charging services from such companies. Sixty-eight percent cite traditional service stations as their choice, while 65% named retailers.
Accordingly, the study recommends that energy utilities work with automakers and dealers to monitor local energy demand for alternative vehicles, with an eye toward enhancing charging infrastructures.
Such an alliance would benefit both the energy and automotive sectors, says James A. Robbins, Accenture's North American Automotive and Industrial Equipment Industry Lead.
"One of the key challenges facing the auto industry today is building consumer confidence in the electric-vehicle experience," he says.
"This report suggests that utilities can play a key role in elevating that confidence, while helping to spur more EV sales."
High gasoline prices are making EVs attractive potential purchases, Robbins says.
"But clearly the other part of the EV equation is the creation of a consistent, readily available charging infrastructure. Working together, the utilities and auto companies may be able to make EVs a truly viable alternative in the U.S. market."
The study cites other factors affecting potential EV purchases:
- Seventy-two percent of U.S. respondents say having a home charging point is important.
- Beyond price, the top-three factors for considering a switch to an EV are access to tax breaks, priority lanes and free parking. Eighty-five percent cite no car tax as the key incentive.
- Eighty-five percent say having their vehicle charged with electricity generated from renewable energies, such as hydro, wind or solar power would spur their purchasing an EV.
- Seventy-four percent of respondents would prefer to buy, rather than lease, their alternative-fuel vehicle.
(Source: WardsAuto.com, 07/27/11)
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Virtually every car will be a hybrid, with so many variations of electric-assistance that some manufacturers won't even use the word.
It's a challenge for automakers. They're struggling with how to tell buyers about the new features, which will increase fuel economy in a variety of ways.
"Customers think 'hybrid' means the Prius," a car mostly powered by gasoline but capable of driving on battery power alone for short distances at low speeds, said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics. "That's very simplistic."
Technology that uses electricity to reduce petroleum consumption can already be found in everything from the battery-powered Nissan Leaf to the 414-horsepower twin-turbo BMW M3's automated stop-start system.
The number of vehicles with some degree of electrification will jump from five in 2008 to 116 by the end of 2011, David Vieau, president and CEO of battery maker A123 Systems, told the Detroit Economic Club last week.
That's just the start.
"It could become tough to find a car without electric augmentation in seven or eight years," Hall said.
Lincoln took a major step in the mass-marketing of hybrids when it made a 41-m.p.g.-in-the-city hybrid the base model of its MKZ sedan.
Many upcoming vehicles using electrification won't call themselves hybrids. They'll promise better fuel economy or performance without getting into nuts-and-bolts tech talk most people don't care about.
Buick and Chevrolet are prime examples. The base 2012 Buick LaCrosse will promise 36 m.p.g. on the highway and 25 in the city for less than $30,000, thanks to an electric system Buick calls eAssist. The 2012 Buick Regal midsize sedan aims to use eAssist for EPA ratings of 37 m.p.g. on the highway and 26 in the city.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan's Eco model will have the same system when it goes on sale early next year.
They won't wear "hybrid" badges, but they wouldn't exist without systems they share with high-profile hybrid and electric cars.
Hybrid technology has become an enabler, a means to an end -- lower fuel consumption.
"The manufacturers will talk about what the customer cares about, either the technology or the fuel economy," Hall says. That means models like the Toyota Prius will continue to headline the word hybrid, while others will talk dollars and cents gas mileage.
For a final confirmation hybrid tech has gone completely mainstream -- or a sign the apocalypse is upon us, depending on your point of view -- Toyota Racing Development, the rogues responsible for the company's 680-horsepower V8 NASCAR engine, have built a performance package for the Prius. It doesn't add any power to the Prius, but includes a ground-effects kit, 17-inch forged alloy wheels, low-profile tires, faster steering and a lower ride height.
Electrification is putting a charge into everyday vehicles.
(Source: Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 07/03/11)
