According to a survey by KPMG, the majority of Canadians want to buy an electric vehicle (EV), but the majority also worry about the impact the country’s harsh winter climate has on EV range and reliability.
More than 2,000 Canadians were surveyed by KPMG, with 71% saying they would consider an EV as their next vehicle purchase.
The high number is the result of growing interest in EVs, with nearly half of those people (49%) saying they are more likely to make the switch to electric than they were one year ago.
However, the potential EV owners continue to rank range anxiety and reliability as their top concerns. Those concerns appear to be misguided though.
Of those concerned about range, 79% say an EV would need to have at least 400km (248 miles) or more of range.
That would mean Tesla’s entire lineup, even the 423km Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) has enough range to satisfy most Canadians when it comes to range.
The all too common misconception that EVs are not reliable in cold weather continues to persist, with 64% believing EVs can’t stand up to Canada’s winter climate.
Another popular misconception is having to spend more time charging than compared to filling up at a gas station. Despite the vast majority of charging taking place at home while you sleep, 51% of respondents said they wouldn’t wait more than 20 minutes to charge at a public station.
Shockingly, a full 18% said they wouldn’t even wait five minutes, even though that is about the amount of time gas car owners spend refueling.
The survey polled was conducted in December 2021 and January 2022.
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Source: Yahoo