South Africans are not warming up to electric cars
AutoTrader’s 2022 electric vehicle (EV) buyers’ survey reveals that South Africans are starting to become more aware of battery-powered cars entering the market, but that they are not as excited about them anymore.
Over the past year, EV searches on AutoTrader have shot up by 102%, EV advertisement views by 134%, and EV inquiries, arguably the most important indicator as it shows the strongest buyer intent, are up by 74%.
In the same breath, however, the percentage of individuals who said they are either “likely” or “very likely” to buy an EV in the future has dropped from 70% in 2021 to 61% in 2022.
Those who are planning to buy an EV in the next five years have also decreased from 72% to 64%.
Additionally, 35.3% of survey respondents said they would not pay more for an EV even if it was cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel vehicle, up from 31.8% in 2021; and 13.3% said that if they buy an EV they would not use it as a daily driver, up from 11.9%.
On the bright side, 36% of voters said they would spend over R500,000 to buy an EV in 2022, whereas only 28% were willing to do the same in 2021.
To get these results, AutoTrader surveyed over 2,900 domestic consumers on their perceptions of battery-powered autos.
Changing perceptions
Despite EVs losing part of their glamour in the public eye, consumers are still more educated about them now than they were in the years before.
“For the first time in the last three years, we’re seeing a shift in consumer perception, sentiment, and expectations,” said AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.
“This shift is indicative of two extremely positive trends. Firstly, the drive to educate South Africans when it comes to EV adoption and ownership is working. Secondly, consumers are becoming more aware of the available EV products, specifications, and support available.”
Interesting insights into the EV-curious population include the fact that in 2022, 2.5% of respondents said they do or have owned an EV, up from 1.7% in 2021.
Even more significant is that 14.9% in 2022 said they have driven an EV, a 3% increase over the year before.
As the above graph shows, South Africans in 2022 are now blaming the high initial price of EVs as the biggest barrier to entry, whereas in previous years the national charging infrastructure was the biggest turnoff.
The second-biggest hurdle for EVs is their lengthy charging times, while the lacking infrastructure is now voted in third.
This coincides with the drop in range anxiety, with only 20.9% of survey respondents in 2022 stating this is one of the major disadvantages of EVs, down from 25.7% a year ago.
In the eye of the public, the most pronounced benefits of EVs are then reduced carbon emissions which garnered 73.3% of votes, reduced air pollution which took 58.2%, and cheaper running costs at 57.1%.
The below graph details the biggest benefits of battery-powered cars according to local consumers:
