Interest in Hybrid Vehicles Still Significantly Outpaces Fully Electric Vehicles

NATIONAL REPORT — Automakers and lawmakers are pushing the United States toward an electric vehicle (EV) society, but they could be facing an uphill journey, according to a new Deloitte report.

According to Deloitte's "2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study," consumer interest in a more sustainable choice in transportation is driven by reduced fuel costs, climate concerns and better driving experiences. However, consumers continue to choose internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles because of EV limitations.

Consumer willingness to pay for advanced technologies also remains limited, the report found.

As a result, according to Deloitte's research, ICE vehicles continue to dominate future U.S. vehicle purchase intentions (69 percent). Among alternative powertrains, consumer interest in battery electric vehicles is highest in the Republic of Korea (23 percent), China (17 percent) and Germany (15 percent), while Japanese consumers showed the highest preference towards hybrid electric vehicles (HEV/PHEV) followed by the Republic of Korea at 48 percent and 35 percent, respectively. In the United States, interest in HEV/PHEV came in at 22 percent.

U.S. consumers are also concerned about the driving range of EVs, with 20 percent citing it as their opt concern. U.S. consumers expect fully charged EVs to travel upwards of 500 miles, while those in China, Japan and India are content with a range of around 250 miles.

According to the report, personal mobility remains king. Specifically, more than three-quarters of Americans indicate that personal vehicles are their primary means of transport.

The "2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study," is based on a survey of more than 26,000 consumers from 25 countries conducted between September and October 2021.