Globally, and within South Africa, demand for electric vehicles is growing. Automotive marketplace AutoTrader – in partnership with Smarter Mobility Africa – has published a study focusing on consumers’ perceptions of EVs as well as their preferences in considering their purchase.
“It is interesting in the Survey to note that the initial cost of purchase has become an even bigger disadvantage to consumers. As a result, it seems that the early adoption of EVs is decreasing as consumers are becoming more educated. The data shows that consumers are pushing out their purchase intent and almost taking a wait-and-see approach.”
Charging infrastructure concerns, cited as the main disadvantage in the previous report, declined. And the number of people who have driven an EV locally has risen, up from 12% in 2021 to 15% in 2022. Battery efficiency, safety and price emerged as the most important factors when purchasing an EV. Given South Africans’ love of driving, unsurprisingly, self-driving technology came in as the least influential factor.
Views for hybrids with their combustion engine and electric motor increased 61.28%, with the BMW i8, locally-built Toyota Corolla Cross, and Ferrari SF90 emerging as the most viewed.