30% of EV Owners Reside in Pacific US, 46% Own a Tesla Vehicle; Savings on Fuel & Maintenance Top Environmental Concerns in EV Purchase Decisions
CHICAGO, June 11, 2024 (GlobeNewswire) – Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has published new findings on electric vehicle ownership and its impact on consumer behavior, Charging Ahead in the Era of Electric Vehicles (EVs). The analysis combines survey insights and purchase data from verified EV owners. EV ownership is one of 2,500 demographic, psychographic, and media consumption attributes that panelists elect to share with Numerator.
Electric Vehicle Owner Profile:
- Compared to the average vehicle owner, EV owners are younger, more diverse, and higher income. 42% of EV owners are Gen Z’ers or Millennials (vs. 30% of all vehicle owners); 44% are Black, Hispanic, or Asian (vs. 31%); and 44% come from high-income households (vs. 30%).
- EV owners are more likely to be a part of larger, multi-car households. 77% of EV households have two or more vehicles, compared to 68% of all households with vehicles.
- EV owners are more likely to use alternative modes of transportation. Individuals living in a household with an electric vehicle are twice as likely to say they regularly walk or bike to get around, and they are 4x more likely to take public transit.
- EV ownership varies by regionality and urbanicity. 30% of EV owners reside in the Pacific US, with an additional 8% in the Mountain region. 46% of EV owners reside in urban settings.
Key Survey Findings:
- Tesla is the most popular choice for an EV. Nearly half (46%) of EV owners say they own a Tesla, followed by Chevy (13%), Ford (11%), Hyundai/Kia (11%), Nissan (7%), and BMW (7%).
- EV drivers place more importance on cost savings than environmental concerns. The top reasons EV owners cited for choosing an electric vehicle were cost savings on fuel (74%), lower maintenance costs (51%), environmental concerns (48%), the vehicle’s look/features (41%), tax credits or other incentives (41%), interest in new technologies (37%), and interest in a particular brand / manufacturer (23%). 15% responded that someone else in their household chose their electric vehicle.
- The driving force behind EV ownership also varies by brand. Tesla owners are more likely to cite vehicle looks and features (+18 points compared to non-Tesla EV owners). They also show a greater interest in new technologies (+14 points) and the brand itself (+10 points).
- Home is where the charging port is located. Over three quarters (76%) of EV owners charge their vehicles at home, followed by other public charging stations (45%), their work / office (34%), retail locations (25%), and gas stations (16%).
- Necessity dictates where charging occurs. When deciding where to charge their EV, most owners select the nearest charging location available (55%), while others take into account free or discounted charging options (42%), charging speed (41%), or proximity to other amenities like stores and restaurants (32%).
- The need to charge affects where EV owners shop. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of EV owners say they are more likely to shop somewhere with charging stations, while a quarter (27%) say charging station availability does not typically influence their shopping location decisions.
- Most current EV owners are in it for the long haul. 2% of survey respondents said they are somewhat or extremely likely to choose an EV again in the future. Only 3.3% said they were somewhat or extremely unlikely to purchase another electric vehicle.
EV Owner Purchase Data Findings:
- EV owners gravitate to different retailers than the average consumer. EV owners are nearly twice as likely to shop at IKEA (1.8x) or Whole Foods (1.7x) – both of which are leaders in the EV charging game. Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Albertsons are also popular among EV owners, likely due to preferences for natural/organic and retailer regionality.
- Suburban EV owners are driving the decline in gas & convenience spending. Overall, EV owners spend 6% less in the gas & convenience channel compared to the average consumer, but the dip is entirely driven by suburban EV owners, who spend 18% less than other suburban drivers.
- Urban and rural EV owners remain reliant on gas & convenience retailers. Urban and rural EV owners spend 3% and 13% more at gas & convenience stores than their non-electric counterparts. Rural households with electric vehicles are more likely than other rural drivers to own 3+ vehicles, while urban shoppers are generally more reliant on small-format convenience stores.
Numerator’s Electric Vehicle Survey was fielded to 769 verified EV Owners in April 2024. All demographic and purchase data is based on a larger group of over 4,000 self-identified EV Owners. EV Ownership is one of 2,500 demographic, psychographic, and media consumption attributes that panelists elect to share with Numerator.
About Numerator:
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.
