'Range anxiety': What’s driving a lack of interest in electric vehicle sales?
A recent survey by AutoTrader found consumer demand for an EV is down for a second straight year.
The online survey of 1,600 Canadians over the age of 19 was conducted in February and March 2024.
Respondents were asked: Would you consider an electric vehicle for your next car purchase?
“68 per cent said that they would in 2022. It came down to 56 per cent in 2023, and now we're sitting at around 46 per cent for 2024,” Baris Akyurek told CTV News Friday.
He’s the vice-president of Insights and Intelligence for AutoTrader.
Akyurek said they took their question one step further, asking respondents why they would pick a gas-powered vehicle over an EV.
“The biggest reason is probably not a big surprise, it’s the ‘range anxiety,’” according to Akyurek. “79 per cent of the consumers don't want to buy an EV because they're anxious for their trips.”
The second concern was charging station availability, or lack thereof.
And the third reason might be the most significant, cost.
Akyurek said they crunched the numbers on AutoTrader.ca and found electric vehicles cost 15 to 20 per cent more than the same model of gas-powered car.
He did note however, the cost is starting to come down for electric vehicles.
“Demand is coming down. Supply is increasing and what's happening to prices, [they] have been coming down,” Akyurek said. “The price decline on a year-over-year basis is 17.4 per cent.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.