MINI USA survey finds 73% say 75 miles EV range sufficient for daily use
15 April 2019
According to a new survey MINI USA recently commissioned from market research and business intelligence firm Engine International, Inc, 63% of consumers said the best way to use an EV is for commuting or city driving, At the same time, 73% of consumers surveyed said that battery range of up to 75 miles was sufficient for their daily use.
At the other end of the spectrum, the survey found that there is a need for additional consumer education around EVs, especially when it comes to charging technology and maximizing electric mobility solutions.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of consumers surveyed did not know where their nearest EV charging station was located. At the same time company data shows that 80% of EV owners tend to charge their cars at home.
When consumers were asked to choose an acceptable amount of time it should take to charge an EV, the most common answer (28%) was “I don’t know” followed by “30 minutes” (25%).
Overall, two-thirds of consumers surveyed believe that EVs are for early adopters, underscoring the need to raise mainstream awareness around EV technology. This finding may also explain that while Federal Tax Credits on EVs certainly incentivize consumers to purchase an EV, there is still a subset of the population that is making the choice to purchase an EV based on factors beyond incentives.
It is important for us as a brand to understand how consumers want to use their electric vehicles, and what they know and don’t know about them as we move closer to the launch of the MINI Cooper S E electric vehicle in the US. The more intelligence we gather, the more we can educate consumers about the many benefits of electric mobility and what MINI has to offer in the new MINI Cooper S E electric vehicle coming in early 2020.
—Andrew Cutler, Head of Corporate Communications, MINI USA
Survey methodology. The General Population survey was conducted among a sample of 1,004 adults comprising 502 men and 502 women 18 years of age and older on behalf of MINI USA. The online omnibus studies were conducted from 21 - 24 March 2019.
The assertion of the article does not consider the fact that a smaller battery will have to be charged more often than a larger battery when commuting a constant distance. Due to the higher charge rate, the smaller battery will age more quickly than a lager one. The statement that 75 mi. of range is sufficient does not take the cycle aspect into account.
Posted by: yoatmon | 15 April 2019 at 06:07 AM
Surprising to see Mini playing catch-up after have such an early lead with the original Mini Electric.
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 15 April 2019 at 07:34 AM
As a low range, Leaf owner, I say 75 miles ain't enough. Batteries age and lose range with age and use. My range is down 20% after 8 years of 30k miles of easy driving...but, where it all goes wrong is the unplanned events, i.e., when you have an emergency or for random events that require more range. 200 miles is my recommendation and then only if you have quick charge capability...the safest buy is still a Tesla, if you can afford one.
Posted by: Lad | 15 April 2019 at 04:31 PM
You can have studies and stats, but this may not convince people to buy EVs with 75 mile range. The marketing work was never really done on EVs, what does the market really want?
Posted by: SJC | 16 April 2019 at 08:21 AM
A short range BEV for GOOD weather ideal condition days and a second longer range quick charge BEV (or one FCEV) for all other conditions?
Posted by: HarveyD | 17 April 2019 at 10:06 AM