Some of us seems to be growing up and progressively pulling out of our addiction to large gas guzzlers but it is still a small minority.

Peak oil + more economic disturbances + lower cost batteries + a few more Gulf disasters etc may convince the majority by 2030+?

The attractiveness of things like electric propulsion depend on the cost of money compared to the cost of fuel. If the USA adopted European-level gas taxes as a way to control demand, the popularity would be a lot higher.

People are on to the flex-fuel scam. It has no future.

Cost is rather relative. Something like $50K to $60k for an extended range, fair size EV may be acceptable to many in USA, Canada, EU, Japan, Australia etc, specially when quick charge points are everywhere. Of course, the top 5% in most industrial countries can afford $100+K e-cars if the performance is there.

The days of $3k cars are long gone. Most of us have been paying about $30k for a while. We survived the rise from $3k to $30K and we will also survive another rise from $30k to $60k. That will happen regardless of the technology used. The only thing that could stop that progressive change would be a 10 to 20 year economic recession.

Cost is relative.

Small EVs are expensive and/or performance/range limited. Small ICE vehicles are low cost.

A $50K to $60k small EV will not suffuce when there are $10K to $30K small ICE vehicles on the market

People know about the technologies presented, or observe those who do. It is common knowledge that EVs are not ready

The majority are resistant to high tech, low value and attracted to high tech, high value and they put this into context easily.

All this will drive change when gas prices rise again; but only if battery prices are low enough.

Problem with these kind of surveys is that people have to make a choice between a plethora of real, visible, buyable cars (ICE) and vaporware (EV's).

They can only judge EV's by what they were told about them. People need real, visible, tangible things to fully appreciate them. Wait until the neighbour-with-the-big-house-and-two-mercs-in-the-driveway buys one, and they'll want it too.

Buying a car is mostly an emotional experience, and it is impossible to predict where the market will be heading once the EV's start appearing in the showrooms.

For many people its simply the fact they dont have room or money for anouther car and thats all a bev is right now anouther car not THE car.

Anne is close to the purchase decision tree. For many, auto purchases are emotional - hence the plethora of styles. Rarely does anyone but a gearhead set out to buy an auto based on a technology.

The day the neighbor shows off his Leaf or Volt, and claims NOT to have bought gas for the last five weeks - the little wheels will begin to turn. The emotional buyer will focus only on the idea that "Hey, I don't have to buy gas anymore! I just plug the sucker in overnight!" If he/she's a left brainer, they'll run the numbers to see how long after it'll take to recoup added purchase price against zero/low gas purchase.

Other people will simply be delighted to beat the oil companies who are cast in a poor light already. EVs and PHEVs have the great advantage of offering logical solutions for half a dozen social and economic issues. That puts them in a sweet spot early on. IF Volt's MSRP is $35k, then it sells for $27.5k with low interest rates - easily accessible to millions.

"Studies" such as this present little information of use to the current cycle. The early adopters will be the best advertising for PHEVs - and since both Volt and Leaf will sell out their initial runs - there will be carefully planned pent up demand.

When the worst that's required to handle limits of range is a generator on a trailer, that negative perception won't last long.

Rental gen-sets an excellent way to keep your EV light while accommodating extended range for the occasions that you need it.

I like the idea of having a plug-in receptacle of some sort for it. A lot of people might not want to tow equipment behind the car.

Renting something to allay fears of range limits is like renting a car or motor home for your vacation.

Very logical, but a bit of a hassle - Does not happen.

Maybe you should tell Hertz and Avis that.
"Does not happen." he says :-p Not only do people rent cars and RV for vacations every day some people use *rentals* for everyday driving: The guy across the road from me has been using a Carsharing service; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carsharing for three years now.

"Does not happen." he says lol

The two groups I see going for bev and phev cars are the ev/phev addict and those with enough money its just a toy to them.

Basicaly the same as when cars first can out.. You had car addict buying a dream and the rich buying toys.

The rest of us simply arnt addicted to it and dont have enough money to buy a 30-40-120k toy... Or are bussy buying other spendy toys.

winter: I'm not sure what point you are making here but I do know that we as a country, as a people concerned for the state of the world we're leaving our descendants, MUST act swiftly to rid ourselves of carbon-spewing belch-fire ICE machines.

Given the problems of AGW mitigation, national security, and trade deficit, why would anyone oppose moving rapidly to a future with highly efficient vehicles and renewable energy generation? Yes, it may cost something, it may be sometimes inconvenient, but the alternative is orders of magnitude more so.

The "alternate" fuels (mostly made with fossil fuels anyway) cost more per mile, which is in addition to whatever the FFV hardware costs.

GM ought to license Fiat's Multi-Air technology and use E85 with that. An engine 1/2 the displacement and 1/2 the weight with the same power and torque would let vehicles be made lighter and more efficient.