“Electric Cars: What Early Adopters & First Followers Want”

The electric car market has been growing exponentially in the past few years. But it is still a small percentage of the new car market in most places, typically representing less than 1% of new car sales. What is needed to grow electric car sales to a majority of new car sales? What types of cars and what features will dominate in such a market? When will we reach that milestone?

"Early adopters” and “first followers” will lead us into an electric future, as they do with every technology transition. The sooner they get what they want, the sooner electric cars will become mainstream products that the majority of new car buyers are choosing. These early buyers illuminate broad consumer needs and desires that we often don’t consider simply by theorizing. Getting their feedback sooner rather than later can help companies and governments save time and money, while guiding them along the most effective path into the future.

Through four different surveys completed by over 2,000 people, we have gathered useful and unique insight into what existing and potential electric car owners and lessees want from their electric cars, charging infrastructure, and local policymakers. This report details the minimum electric driving range that people want from fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars, their range–price “sweet spot,” specific features they want or require in an electric car, their preferred car classes, and specific electric car models they intend to buy or lease. The report also delves into preferences regarding buying or leasing and how these options have been split amongst early adopters.

“Why wouldn’t you try to make the future better, if you are going to be a part of it.”~Elon Musk

External to the cars, the report offers insight into electric car charging preferences and habits, solar power adoption, the attraction of different government incentives, and electric car business models that respondents think will most effectively advance the electric car revolution. 

The report also explores what early adopters and first followers consider to be electric cars’ greatest benefits and attractions — matters which might help automakers, electric car advocates, and policymakers more effectively grow the electric car customer base.

The surveys conducted for this report also delve into more obscure but important matters, such as the ability to upgrade a car’s battery in future years, access to Supercharging, DC fast-charging capability, autonomous driving options, and over-the-air software updates, among other things. Demographics such as respondent gender, household income, number of cars in the household, and location also offer some interesting insights.

Wrapping up the report, we discuss a potential “EV revolution” — specifically, expectations for when electric cars will account for 10% and then 50% of new car sales, as well as a brief presentation on disruptive technologies and technology adoption curves.

Is the future electric? We think so. The only question is — how fast will we get there?