No turning back for EV owners

Most EV owners will buy electric again.

So says Flip the Fleet, a citizen science coalition of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners that upload data from their vehicles to a communal database monthly.

This month’s report says 91% of 276 electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid owners would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ buy electric if they ever bought another car. A further 7% were unsure, and just 2% were unlikely to buy another EV – mainly because they want a mix of electric and conventional vehicles for maximising flexibility, towing and other duties.

Many families transfer most of their local running to an EV to save money and benefit the environment, but they retain a conventional vehicle for long range trips or specialist jobs, Flip the Fleet says.

“Asking whether an EV owner would make the same choice again is the acid test of whether they work for New Zealanders in their everyday lives,” Flip the Fleet spokesman and owner of two EVs Martin Kane says.

“Our latest survey shows that nine out of every ten current owners love their cars.”

Why are EV owners so enthusiastic about their vehicles and moving away from fossil fuel powered transport?

More than a quarter of respondents highlight cost and affordability.

“With solar power installed I would not consider anything but fully electric at less than one cent per km!,” says one.

Another says, “After buying one (an EV) I would not go back to an ICE vehicle due to lower running costs”.

Flip the Fleet data indicates it’s five times cheaper on average to ‘fuel’ an EV with electricity (4c/km- without solar) compared to paying for petrol or diesel in a similar sized combustion vehicle (20c/km).

Other respondents say they will continue purchasing EVs for environmental reasons.

“Doing their bit for the planet makes the owners feel good. It’s a practical contribution that many families and small businesses can take,” Kane says.

A recent Bloomberg Finance report illustrates how each new EV displaces about 15 barrels of oil (2400 litres) per year from global oil demand.

In New Zealand, this offers a major opportunity to shift away from imported polluting energy and to support the growing local renewable energy sector and economy, Flip the Fleet says.

A quarter of the survey respondents also say they’re happy with the technology in their current EVs and that they are excited about advances available when they purchase their next EV.

New Zealand’s charging infrastructure is already good enough for many long-distance routes and is rapidly improving, Flip the Fleet says.

“The gap between EVs and conventional cars is closing fast,” one respondent says. “EVs outperform petrol and diesel cars in every way, except range. Range is being addressed with fast charging and longer range EVs.”

Visit flipthefleet.org for more information.