A survey into consumer attitudes towards electric cars in the United States has found that by far the biggest barrier to a purchase is maximum trip distance, but also found a rather large percentage of people are worried that the vehicles are actually more dangerous than standard cars.
Consumer Reports, a consumer advocacy publication in the United States not dissimilar to our own Choice, found in its 2012 Car Brand Perception survey that nearly 30 per cent thought electric vehicles were less safe than regular, petrol-operated cars. Of the 1,702 adults surveyed, about 87 per cent had one concern or another about purchasing an electric vehicle.
Of all the concerns raised, 42 per cent were worried about a fire starting while charging the cars at home.
Forty per cent expressed concerns about the silent operation of electric vehicles, and the danger that poses to pedestrians in particular. Another 35 per cent were worried about the car catching alight after a crash, such as occurred in the case of a set of Chevrolet Volt battery packs that combusted after crash tests, and were later cleared by the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA).
However, the lion's share of concerns simply had to do with the range of the vehicles, with 77 per cent of complaints centring around the still-limited range of most EVs.
