Will conversion to electric vehicles (EVs) be a "rocky" process? Some new research indicates the answer yes.
The research, published by Nature Energy, looked specifically at why early EV adopters decided to switch back to conventional, internal combustion engine vehicles.
The study found that in a survey of a few thousand California residents who were early adopters of either battery-powered electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, about 20% have switched back to gasoline-fueled vehicles.
“About one-fifth of people who adopted electric vehicles ditched them," says Bradley Laine, research author and associate professor of public affairs at the University of Kansas.
"That seems like a lot to me - especially given that these were the people most likely and most incentivized to adopt them. Of course, you could also argue that 80 of people kept their EV or got a new one.:
Owners who abandoned their battery-powered EVs reported they were most likely dissatisfied with home charging capability and public access to charging stations.
Lane believes the transition to EVs will be “rocky.”
