About 60 percent of Chinese consumers said they would consider buying plug-in hybrids or pure electric cars, according to a survey released by Ernst & Young Global Automotive Center.
This figure is five times higher than that of other countries, such as the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.
Out of 1,000 respondents, the majority expressed strong interest in alternative-energy vehicles. They planned to buy plug-in hybrids or electric cars in the next three years.
Fuel savings, environmental impact, government incentives and safety favorably influenced Chinese consumers’ willingness to buy a plug-in hybrid or pure electric car, according to the report.
On a related note, 60% of survey respondents in China indicated a willingness to help pay for charging stations within their community – a portion significantly higher than most countries surveyed. When asked which specific locations would offer convenient re-charging access, 76% indicated conventional roadside recharging locations, 46% indicated residential and apartment communities and 34% indicated large public parking places near places of business.
Key survey findings:
• Roughly 60% of the survey participants said they would consider a plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle purchase.
• 65% of survey participants said they would subsidize local charging stations – nearly twice the portion of other countries surveyed.
• No other plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle incentive or benefit is considered nearly as important as saving money on fuel.
• Among several considerations, access to charging stations, battery driving range, reliability and serviceability, and safety are the four most significant consumer concerns
• 82% of respondents consider a range per charge of less than 200 miles to be acceptable.
