Hyundai Ioniq 5. Source: Hyundai
Eight out of 10 Australian drivers are planning to buy an electric vehicle “within the next few years”, and want vehicle-to-load or vehicle-to-grid technology, a recent survey conducted by The Driven and Jet Charge reveals.
And they may well have to wait that long, because with no signals at a federal level to bring more EVs to the country, many waiting lists for EVs are stretching into 2022 and in some cases 2023 and 2024.
The results underline the enormous interest that Australian drivers now have in electric vehicles. With petrol prices are soaring above $2.20, and despite little federal government support ,more drivers than ever before are looking to a car that needs less money spent on it in both power and servicing.
We’ve seen this in EV allocations from carmakers such as Hyundai and Kia being sold out in a matter of hours and even minutes. We’ve also seen it in soaring secondhand EV prices, because there are enough drivers out there sick of waiting for an EV and willing to pay more to get one now.
Therefore, the findings from the 1,248 people who responded to The Driven and Jet Charge survey couldn’t be more timely: the insights present a snapshot of what potential EV owners – who accounted for 44% of the respondents – want in their next car.
It’s no small matter that according to these results, just 15% are prepared to wait until EVs cost the same as combustion cars.
34% of drivers plan to buy an EV within a year, and 48% within a few years. That’s 8 out of 10 Australians in total.
Perhaps most notably, the survey results indicate the growing awareness amongst Australian drivers of how their cars can integrate with other parts of their lives. The findings also underline just how ready Australian drivers are to embrace new technologies, in particular in a world where transport and energy integrate and support each other.
Not only could your next car help to power your home or transport energy and get you a better price for it, but it could also be used as a big mobile battery for camping, working or elsewhere.
The majority of those surveyed said they are interested in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) technologies such as that found in the Nissan Leaf (in the case of V2G) and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 – in the case of V2L (no wonder that these models are selling out within hours and minutes.)
According to the results, 72% of EV drivers are interested in V2L or V2G, and 66% of non-EV owners are likewise interested.
Other findings include answers from the 56% of respondents that already own an EV, most charging was done at home or at a public fast charger. Most EV owners plug in at home 2-3 times a week (45%), and about a third plug in daily.
Most EV owners visit a public charger occasionally – less than once a week – while just 8% use a public charger more than once a week.
The findings of The Driven and Jet Charge survey also show that most EV owners have off-street parking at home, and can charge in their own driveway or garage. This indicates that uptake is much slower for those living in apartments or terraces as charging is a more complicated affair.
With a recent report from Accenture and financial services firm Plenti showing that owning an EV and charging off rooftop solar can help drivers save thousands, it’s no wonder then that most of those surveyed already have solar on the roof.
Many less have a storage battery at home, however: just 29% have a battery, and only 12% are planning to install one, while 65% have no intention to do so. This is perhaps not surprising, and an indication of an unwillingness to outlay $15,000 or so on a storage battery when that money could be put towards a new EV with V2L or V2G.
The Driven and Jet Charge intend to conduct more surveys about EV habits and charging preferences. What questions do you think we should ask next time?
Keyword: Most drivers want an EV in the next few years with V2L or V2G