Polestar Cars Finds Majority of US Drivers Don’t Purchase Electric Vehicles for Environmental Reasons
- New survey reveals 55% US drivers purchase an electric car for reasons other than environmental benefits
- Almost half of respondents are open to buying an electric car from a new brand, many more than with a gasoline powered vehicle
- Generational differences affect rationale for electric car purchase
Polestar, the Swedish premium electric performance car brand, has conducted research that has found that 55 percent of US drivers purchase electric cars for reasons other than environmental benefits. In-vehicle technology, seamless connectivity and infotainment system offerings have been named as the most important decisions for consumers switching to an electric car from an internal-combustion vehicle.
“The idea of luxury being defined by what’s ‘under the hood’ has been replaced in the electric era with the prioritization of seamless connectivity, integration into existing digital ecosystems, and good UX design,” said Gregor Hembrough, Head of Polestar North America. “People are switching to electric cars for more than just environmental reasons, and Polestar’s focus on in-vehicle technology means they can have everything they want in an environmentally friendly package.”
Polestar 2 was the first vehicle to market with the revolutionary Google-developed infotainment system. The system features Google built-in, including industry-leading voice control via Google Assistant. This enables control of functions using natural voice commands, including navigation through Google Maps, the climate system, music, phone and more.
Brand image also makes a difference to consumers based on age demographics. Fifty-seven percent of millennials (ages 25 to 40) are confident in new electric car brands compared to only 28 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 57 to 75). Nearly half (46 percent) of all respondents are more open to new brands and start-ups such as Polestar when it comes to purchasing an electric car.
Despite eco-consciousness not necessarily being a driving factor for over half of respondents, younger drivers are also much more concerned with appearing environmentally conscious compared to their older counterparts. For Gen Z respondents (ages 18-24), image is a big factor, with 12 percent saying it would be the most important consideration when choosing an electric car compared to an internal-combustion vehicle. That is twice as many as Millennials (ages 25-41), and more than three times as many as Baby Boomers ages (57-74).
To obtain this data, Polestar commissioned a third-party survey, fielded earlier this year with more than 5,000 electric and internal combustion drivers across all 50 US states. The survey questioned drivers on the state of electric car acceptance, charging infrastructure, and the perception of electric car brands when purchasing a vehicle.
