Lack of charging technology is being blamed for 20 per cent of ex-EV owners switching back to cars with combustion engines.
A Californian study has found that one in five people who own an electric vehicle will return to traditional combustion-engine cars.
The research completed by Scott Hardman and Gil Tal of the Californian Institute of Transportation Studies was published in journal Nature Energy and details how a lack of charging infrastructure was a major pain point for owners.
Noting that much research has been completed regarding barriers to entry for purchasing an electrified vehicle, researchers focused on the reasons for discontinuance – abandoning a new technology after purchasing it.
Specifically, researchers found that 20 per cent of owners returned to combustion engines after owning a plug-in hybrid vehicle and 18 per cent abandoned fully-electric vehicles in subsequent purchases.
Reasons given for abandoning electric cars included dissatisfaction with the convenience of charging technology, having cars with combustion engines in the household and not having Level 2 charging at home.
Hardman and Tal noted that, though public charging stations are in vast supply within California, two-thirds of respondents said they did not use them. Despite advancements in range, technology, safety, comfort and features within EVs, Hardman and Tal suggest that very little has changed in terms of how electric vehicles are recharged.
With numerous worldwide markets imposing bans on combustion engine cars, researchers indicate that this trend should be addressed for worldwide markets to hit their electric vehicle targets.
Extracted from Drive