Consumers Have Favorable Views of Electric Cars

Alternative fuel vehicles, particularly battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), are a small but fast-growing segment of the automotive market.

Since 2010, when these vehicles first reached the market, sales of BEVs and PHEVs have grown at a significant pace, with new manufacturers bringing models to market and existing manufacturers reducing prices.

According to a new consumer survey from Navigant Research, favorability ratings for alternative fuel vehicles remain high, with all three types of vehicles (hybrid, electric, and natural gas) above the 50 percent mark for favorability. Consumer awareness of specific models, however, is still relatively low: 44 percent of the respondents are familiar with the Chevrolet Volt, but less than one-third are familiar with the Nissan Leaf, the Tesla Model S, Ford