Half of Colorado consumers don’t understand how an electric vehicle (EV) gets “fueled up,” posing a major barrier to the state’s goal of accelerating the adoption of clean transportation. In its Colorado Electric Vehicle Education and Awareness Roadmap, E Source—a leading research and advisory firm for the energy industry—identified barriers to EV adoption and highlighted messaging strategies that will help the state overcome such hurdles. E Source completed the project for the Colorado Energy Office, Regional Air Quality Council, and Colorado Department of Transportation. The executive summary is available online.

The roadmap will help Colorado meet its goal of putting nearly 1 million vehicles on the road by 2030, a foundational element of the state’s Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan 2020.

The roadmap identifies specific points along the buyer journey where consumers lack information or have poor or incorrect understanding of EVs, and it offers best practices in reaching consumers with the right messages at the right time. E Source based the roadmap’s conclusions on a consumer survey of 2,000 Colorado residents, a review of nationwide research studies covering consumer awareness of and barriers to electric transportation, and interviews with 25 EV experts. The roadmap will help Colorado meet its goal of putting nearly 1 million vehicles on the road by 2030, a foundational element of the state’s Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan 2020.

The review of EV market research studies yielded several major insights about the current state of the EV market.

Consumers have misconceptions about the cost to own an EV and how charging works:

• Less than half of respondents were aware of federal and state tax credits for an EV purchase.
• A majority of respondents expressed concerns about running out of charge before reaching their destination, despite driving their primary vehicle 30 miles or less per day.

The industry has overemphasized public charging, which has suppressed knowledge about home charging:

• 54% of respondents didn’t know that they can charge an EV by plugging into a standard wall outlet.
• There’s a huge opportunity to educate consumers about the ease of home charging, including the fact that most EV owners charge overnight at home today.

A majority of Coloradans are open to purchasing an EV this decade:

• 29% of respondents who don’t own an EV plan to purchase one in the next three years.
• 34% plan to purchase an EV within 4 to 10 years.

The roadmap includes recommendations for developing campaigns to raise awareness about EVs, including targeted messages for customers who are ready to buy in the next two to three years. It also lays the foundation for a centralized resource for all things EV in Colorado.

The roadmap includes recommendations for developing campaigns to raise awareness about EVs, including targeted messages for customers who are ready to buy in the next two to three years.

“E Source sees the critical role that utilities can play in the growth of EVs since they are at the epicenter of electrification, carbon reduction, consumer behavior, charging, and electricity pricing,” says Bill LeBlanc, chief instigation agent at E Source. “We don’t see other entities with the ability to step up and accelerate this very early marketplace.”

Utility employees interested in learning more can attend the E Source web conference Who will be the next EV buyers? Overcoming key barriers to adoption through messaging and targeting, August 31, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. During the utility-only event, E Source will expand on its findings and share recommendations for developing EV awareness and education campaigns.

About E Source

E Source is the leading solver of problems facing electric, gas, and water utilities and municipalities. We provide data science, market research, benchmarking data, and consulting services to more than 300 utilities, municipalities, and their partners. Our guidance helps customers make data-driven decisions to strengthen their customer relationships, plan for tomorrow’s infrastructure needs, and further their environmental sustainability goals while becoming more innovative and responsive in the rapidly evolving market.

Public relations contact

Sannie Sieper, Director of Marketing, E Source
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