What Canadians want in their EVs

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Technological innovation is making the majority of headlines in the automotive industry these days, but a recent survey conducted by Volvo Canada reveals safety is the most important consideration to someone shopping for a new vehicle.

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A resounding 80 per cent of respondents to ‘The New Luxury’ study cited safety features at the top of their list, while 50 per cent looked for the latest in on-board technology as a major selling point. Sitting somewhere in between was concern for the environment, with 70 per cent agreeing that automakers should prioritize sustainability now more than ever. And 60 per cent felt that electric vehicles are the future of mobility.

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All of which is music to the ears for the carmaker that commissioned the study, as Volvo has pivoted in a big way to electrified powertrains. Since 2019 all new Volvos have had some form of electric assistance, from mild hybrids to more robust plug-in hybrids, and for this model year the automaker unveiled its first-ever all-electric vehicle, the XC40 Recharge .

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And in terms of safety, the Swedish automaker is synonymous with it. Innovations the company has pioneered include the three-point seat belt (1959), the rearward-facing child seat (1972), the booster cushion (1978), the side impact protection system (1991), the inflatable curtain (1998), and pedestrian detection with full auto brake (2010). And last year Volvo unveiled something called Speed Cap, which reduced the top speed in all of its new models to 180 km/h.

A deeper dive into the study’s findings, however indicates Canadians aren’t quite convinced that electric vehicles are the answer just yet, with only four out of 10 saying they will consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase. And with just 18 per cent feeling good about taking a ride in an autonomous vehicle, self-driving technology is even less attractive to the average Canadian.

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When asked if they believe that fuel-efficient vehicles drive sustainability more than electric cars, 58 per cent of respondents said they do, while 34 per cent said they think hybrid/electric vehicles do more for the big picture of the environment. The study authors surmise this is due to EV skepticism and/or a lack of awareness and knowledge about electric vehicles.

Further underscoring that sentiment are the results from the study’s findings about which sustainability feature Canadians are most willing to pay for. A hybrid or full electric powertrain resonated with just 28 per cent of respondents to that question, while more than half — 53 per cent — cited fuel efficiency. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions garnered a one in four response, and less than one in five said carbon neutrality was most important.

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However, breaking down the responses to that question by province, Quebecers almost equally weighted fuel efficiency (39 per cent) to reduced greenhouse gas emissions (32 per cent). Ontarians and British Columbians, at 64 per cent, the Prairies at 61 per cent and Atlantic Canada at 65 per cent were overwhelming swayed by fuel efficiency.

Not surprisingly from that finding, Quebecers were the most likely to consider buying an electric vehicle, a sentiment also shared by Millennials and high income earners.

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As to the top reason respondents would consider an EV as their next purchase, saving money on gas (64 per cent) edged environmental considerations (61 per cent), and one in three cited government rebates/incentives as a reason to go electric. Just one in 10 agreed that their reason to buy is because EVs are trendy.

In terms of what scares prospective new vehicle buyers away from electric vehicles, cost of purchase (61 per cent), an EV’s limited range (50 per cent) and a lack of charging infrastructure (47 per cent) were tops, while just five per cent said they believed that electric vehicles are not as enjoyable to drive as gasoline-powered vehicles.

The sample size for the study was 3,001 people aged 25 and older who are current or prospective car owners. The survey was conducted in English and French and was nationally representative of age, gender, region and income.