85% would be inclined to buy an electric car if cost same

Most people would be willing to buy an electric car if they were the same price as a petrol one, according to a recent survey.

The Pulse “Energy for Life” survey found that if electric cars were more available at a reasonable price, the uptake in New Zealand could be as high as anywhere else in the world. These results may surprise auto makers as only 15% are saying they would not buy electric over petrol if equally priced.

This result is particularly noteworthy since New Zealanders seem unaware that electricity for transportation is cheaper than petrol. The majority hold the incorrect view, as 64% of respondents thought that electricity used in cars is the same or more expensive than petrol.

Only 5% of survey respondents listed electric cars as a way they will save energy in the future. By comparison, 15% of respondents listed solar panels and 26% singled out energy efficient light bulbs as ways they would conserve energy.

Internationally, New Zealanders are quite well known for preferring green alternatives and this bias is supported by the Survey. Recent statistics show that more than 100,000 electric cars were sold in California alone since they have been promoted by cars companies. 5% of New Zealand’s car market would be about 170,000 cars.

“New Zealand has a similar climate to California and has a similar love for cars over other forms of transportation,” says Pulse chief executive Gary Holden. “Based on our survey results, it looks like availability of these cars in New Zealand would produce strong sales for car makers.

“With BMW, Honda, Mercedes, Renault, Ford, Holden, Audi, Kia, Smart, Nissan, Fiat, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi Tesla, and Porsche all selling electric cars overseas, it might not be long before they all over the roads here.”