Fact #702: November 21, 2011
Consumer Preferences on Electric Vehicle Charging

Data from a survey conducted between November 2010 and May 2011 show consumer preferences on electric vehicle (EV) charging times. Respondents from 17 different countries were asked for their longest acceptable charge time for an EV. In Taiwan, the country with the greatest number of respondents accepting longer charge times, nearly a third of the respondents said an 8-hour charge time was acceptable, while in Japan, the country with the least number of respondents accepting longer charge times, a third of the respondents answered 30 minutes or less. Currently, most EV batteries can charge within three to eight hours. Rapid charge systems can charge an EV within 30 minutes, but these systems are expensive, shorten the battery life, and put additional stress on the electricity grid.

Question: Considering your expected vehicle use, what is the longest time to fully recharge the battery that you would consider acceptable when buying or leasing an electric vehicle?Graph showing consumer preferences (from seventeen countries around the world) for electric car charging times. For more detailed information, see supporting information below.

Supporting Information

Question: Considering your expected vehicle use, what is the longest time to fully recharge the battery that you would consider acceptable when buying or leasing an electric vehicle?
Country 8 hours or
less
4 hours or
less
2 hours or
less
1 hour or
less
30 minutes or
less
Total
Taiwan 31% 3% 19% 21% 26% 100%
Canada 27% 22% 17% 17% 17% 100%
Brazil 26% 18% 20% 17% 19% 100%
India 24% 27% 21% 15% 13% 100%
US 23% 18% 17% 19% 23% 100%
Australia 23% 19% 18% 17% 23% 100%
France 20% 19% 23% 18% 20% 100%
UK 19% 21% 23% 18% 19% 100%
China 18% 27% 25% 18% 12% 100%
Argentina 17% 9% 17% 21% 36% 100%
Turkey 16% 12% 18% 24% 30% 100%
Italy 15% 16% 19% 25% 25% 100%
Spain 14% 13% 15% 20% 38% 100%
Korea 13% 16% 23% 24% 24% 100%
Belgium 12% 19% 17% 23% 29% 100%
Germany 11% 21% 21% 21% 26% 100%
Japan 6% 13% 17% 27% 37% 100%

Source: Deloitte, Unplugged: Electric vehicle realities versus consumer expectations, 2011.

Return to 2011 Facts of the Week