- 31 per cent of electric car buyers seek driving range of 500kms or more

- Potential customers expect a minimum driving range of 50 to 100kms

Rising environmental concerns have encouraged buyers to consider electric-powered vehicles. In our previous story, we spoke about safety and reliability being the key areas of concern for electric car buyers. To learn more about the findings, click here. This time around, we reveal more about electric car buyer preferences.

The driving range is a crucial factor when it comes to electric cars, as it misses out on the conventional engine support. Over 31 percent of potential electric car customers will opt for vehicles that offer a driving range of 500kms or more, while 25.9 per cent will be satisfied with a driving range of about 100kms. A better driving range is also an important factor while driving within the city with unpredictable traffic conditions. That said, electric cars also need to be priced similarly to the existing lot of petrol and diesel cars, to emerge strong and encourage buyers to switch to electric.

In recent times, car manufacturers have been actively working on electric car components that enhance the driving range of electric cars. Moreover, these manufacturers are also working on reducing the overall bodyweight, which has been an issue with older electric car models. Additionally, the companies are also working on ways to optimally use the efficient and reliable li-ion battery technology.

Interestingly, our survey findings reveal that 53 per of the buyers believe that electric cars are a better option over hybrid cars, while 33 per cent respondents believed that hybrid cars are better than electric cars. The findings further reveal that 37 per cent of the buyers will be happy if a plug-in hybrid vehicle would offer a driving range of 50kms on a single charge, while 39 per cent of the respondents would still opt for an electric vehicle.

The above-mentioned findings are based on a 10-day survey conducted from 1 November to 10 November, 2019. Among 1,70,588 respondents, 80 per cent of the population comprised of prospective buyers. And, about 85 per cent of the buyers were in the age group of 18 to 45 years.