A study on electric car ownership has revealed that as many as 20% of owners cease using them.
The study, entitled ‘Understanding discontinuance among California’s electric vehicle owners’, was published in the journal Nature Energy. It noted that for a 100% uptake in electric vehicles, it was necessary for existing owners to choose to acquire new electric cars when making new purchases.
Their research indicated that in California, some 20% of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners and 18% for battery electric vehicle owners switched back to fuel-powered models.
The key factor appeared to be the convenience of charging the cars. Standard home connections deliver some 120 volts of power, or so-called ‘Level 1’ charging; a ‘Level 2’ facility, which delivers 240 volts of power is necessary to keep a electric car charged efficiently.
Around 70% of those who had switched back to fuel-powered cars generally lacked ‘Level 2’ charging, at home and at work.
The study said that this issue would need to be resolved for electric vehicles to become the dominant mode of transport. The study remarked: ‘It should not be assumed that once a consumer purchases a PEV they will continue owning one.’
Image by Mikes-Photography from Pixabay