Men miss the vroom-vroom

Buying an electric vehicle doesn’t seem to do much for some men’s macho image.

The roar of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is apparently more manly than the quiet, powerful serenity of an electric engine which appeals more to women.

That was a common opinion in the latest poll from Flip the Fleet which asked EV owners to comment on whether men and women are equally likely to switch to an EV.

Slightly more than 60% of respondents agreed that the sexes were equally likely to switch, but they varied widely on why.

One says; “I go to the farmer’s market almost every weekend and promote EVs. Typically, you will have mum, dad and the kids visit our booth. The kids get it… they plug in their phone, computer, headphones so why would you not plug in your car? Mum gets it – she wants a car that is safe, practical and saves money. Dad rarely, if ever, gets it. No noise, no smell, no oil, no mess – how can this be good? The dad is 97.5% likely to be the dinosaur.”

Another respondent says; “Women tend to be more conscious of conservation and such like. Men tend to be the ones who would still like an E-type.”

Women seem more engaged in their EV than in their ICE car because it reflects a conscious decision to be environmentally friendly.

Wide disparity is also evident on perceptions of how men and women handle an EV’s technical side. Most say men are more technically minded and therefore more comfortable with charging the EV and monitoring its battery condition and range. This may be reflected in women being more prone to range anxiety

Flip the Fleet’s survey fits with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s recent market research which shows that while men are still slightly more likely than women to consider buying a battery EV (31% in October-December 2017), interest from women is growing more quickly, up from 14% in October-December 2016 to 22% a year later.

Joe Camuso, a spokesperson for the citizen science team that ran the survey, believes the poll highlights important strategies for increasing EV uptake.

“EV advocacy messages need to be more inclusive of both genders and all motivations for switching to electric. Cars are no longer just men’s talk. But how often do you meet a woman selling cars on a dealers’ forecourt? Nor are EVs just for greenies. If we don’t get more inclusive in our advertising and messaging, there is a real risk that we will talk past a key part of the buying public – the women out there who are increasingly leading the switch to electric,” Camuso says.

“Put a man or a woman behind the wheel for a test drive, and they are sold in a minute. It’s a fast, quiet and comfortable ride. Later you can fill in that they are also good for your purse and the planet.”

Visit flipthefleet.org for more information.