U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #595: November 2, 2009
Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Purchases May Depend on Fuel Savings and Incremental Cost

The recently released results of a 2008 survey on plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) show that 42% of respondents said there was some chance that they would buy a PHEV sometime in the future. Questions were also asked that gave an added vehicle price for a PHEV, with the assumption that the vehicle fuel costs would be reduced by 75%. When asked about a PHEV that costs $2,500 more than an ordinary vehicle but resulted in a 75% reduction in fuel costs, 46% of the respondents said there was some chance they would purchase a PHEV. When the incremental vehicle price went up to $5,000, only 30% of respondents said there was a chance they would buy a PHEV; with the incremental vehicle price at $10,000, only 14% said there was a chance they would buy a PHEV.

2008 survey question about what scenario a consumer would definately purchase a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Purchase Probabilities for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles under Certain Scenarios
Graph showing the results of a survey by buyers when given different scenarios and their probablity of purchasing a PHEV sometime in the future. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Purchase Probabilities for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles Under Certain Scenarios
  Purchase Probabilities
No Cost or Fuel Data Given 42%
Vehicle Cost + $2,500;
Fuel Cost -75%		 46%
Vehicle Cost + $5,000;
Fuel Cost -75%		 30%
Vehicle Cost + $10,000;
Fuel Cost -75%		 14%

Source: University of Michigan, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, October 2009. Based on a survey conducted between July and November 2008, N=2,513.  

 

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