New Study Finds Americans Think Hybrids Strategically Important
A recent study commissioned by Johnson Controls and conducted by Harris Interactive found that 88% of American adults think that it is important for the United States to become a world leader in the production and design of hybrid vehicles, and 84% of the respondants said that the federal government should help with the development of battery technologies. While those numbers seem to overwhelmingly support hybrids, approval doesn’t necessarily translate into sales.
90% of the people surveyed said that they would be open to purchasing a hybrid as their next vehicle, but the issue is not nearly so cut and dry. 4 out of 5 people said that the higher prices and the insufficient long-term savings discouraged them from buying. In fact, even if the price of a hybrid version of a chosen vehicle were the same price as the standard gasoline model, only 35% of those surveyed would take the hybrid version. 23% did say that they’d be willing to spend a little more on a hybrid, but one third said they would want to pay less.
This study demonstrates the disconnect between American views on hybrids and their buying habits, and pretty much makes fact what most analysts had already figured out. Nobody is categorically against hybrids, but until the market is able to offer hybrid vehicles at comparable costs (both immediate and long-term) as a conventional gasoline-engined model, sales will remain low. Also, a lack of knowledge about what makes hybrid cars tick seems to be discouraging people, as 59% of those surveyed said that they had no idea what the difference is between different hybrid drivetrains and different hybrid models.
You can read the entire press release about the survey here (opens in a new window).
