Poll shows fuel cost the main reason behind Thais preferring EVs
The lower cost of fuel/electricity is the main reason that Thai vehicle users are making a switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV), according to a recent poll.
The poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and EV-maker Great Wall Motor surveyed 1,000 vehicle users in Thailand aged 30-60 — 200 of them own an EV and 800 still had an ICE counterpart.
Around 34.1% of those who switched to an EV said the reason was that electricity was cheaper, while 18.9% said EV was better for the environment.
The poll found that 81.3% of drivers of fossil fuel vehicles were interested in switching to an EV in the future, with the top reasons being: cheaper fuel cost (89.4%), better for the environment (72.3%), and having modern technology (49.9%).
When asked what kind of EV they were interested in: 64.8% said battery EV; 22.2% said hybrid EV; and 13% said plug-in hybrid EV.
As for the type of EV that respondents were interested in, sedan EV topped the list (63.6%), followed by sport utility vehicles (27.8%), pickup trucks (5.1%) and pickup passenger vehicles (3.5%).
Most future EV buyers said they plan to buy an EV in the next 3-4 years with a budget of 700,000 to 900,000 baht. Around 83.1% of this group said they were eyeing a Chinese brand EV.
Among those who were still not convinced about switching to EV, the poll found that the main reasons were: concerns about safety (66%), limited availability of charging stations (50.7%), and long changing time (40%).
