Research: a third of the driving population is prevented from purchasing an electric car by the lack of charging infrastructure | Business

However, the results of a study commissioned by “Elektrum Lietuva” showed that 23 percent the driving population does not consider purchasing an electric car, and the main reasons for this are the high prices of these vehicles and the underdeveloped electric car charging network.

Is your next car electric?

During the survey, the aim was to find out how likely it is that the next car purchased by the respondent will be powered by electricity. More than half of the respondents (53%) answered that the probability that they will buy an electric car is low (30%) or completely unexpected (23%). Every eighth survey participant thinks that their next car will be electric (4 percent – very likely, 9 percent – rather likely).

“A few years ago, it was common to think that an electric car is an expensive vehicle suitable only for short distances, intended for driving in the city. However, as electric car technology improves and the price gap between electric cars and internal combustion engine cars narrows, more and more people are choosing electric cars as an economical, environmentally friendly means of transportation. Of course, since electric cars are a relatively new technology, the skepticism of a certain segment of the population is understandable. On the other hand, the study also revealed that electric vehicles are increasingly finding their own driver segment,” says Laura Doraitė-Gudavičienė, head of electric car product development at Elektrum Lietuva.

Laura Doraitė-Gudavičienė, Elektrum Lietuva photo.

The expert adds that the purchasing power of the country’s population is one of the essential factors determining the growth rate of the number of electric cars, which is still slower compared to Northern and some Western European countries.

The price factor remains important

In the survey, car drivers named high prices as one of the main factors preventing them from purchasing an electric car (35%). The expert notes that although the initial investment in purchasing an electric car is still higher than in purchasing a car with an internal combustion engine, the gap is narrowing in the new car segment.
“One of the reasons for the drop in the purchase price of electric cars is the development of the secondary market. As Europe renews its fleet, the secondary market also expands, so there are more and more opportunities to purchase a used electric car in the lower price segment,” says L. Doraitė-Gudavičienė.

It is true that residents with different purchasing power target different car segments.

“Electric car fans usually expect to spend regarding 40-50 thousand for such a purchase. the budget. Another part of drivers can only buy a used car and, according to the monthly data of “Registra”, there are 1.5-2 times more drivers than those who buy new vehicles”, shares the expert.

She adds that residents can take advantage of state support both for the purchase of the electric car itself and for the installation of a charging station. Currently, when buying a new electric car, the support amounts to 5 thousand. EUR, used – 2.5 thousand. euros.

The lack of infrastructure is holding back the purchase of an electric car
The car-driving respondents who took part in the survey named the underdeveloped charging network for electric cars as an important factor preventing them from purchasing an electric car (31%). 15 percent respondents consider electric cars as an unproven technology, and 14 percent in the opinion of the respondents, the electric car is simply just a matter of fashion.

“The beginning of the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Lithuania was slow. Unlike other Baltic countries, charging was free for a long time at the first charging stations belonging to the Lithuanian Road Administration and municipalities. In addition, the development of charging infrastructure for electric cars is currently slower than the growth of the electric car market. Therefore, it is natural that consumers still consider the charging infrastructure as a fundamental challenge”, says L. Doraitė-Gudavičienė.

Under the condition that the infrastructure of charging stations for electric cars is well developed in Lithuania, the number of respondents who would buy an electric car when choosing a new vehicle increases by 18 percentage points.
According to L. Doraitė-Gudavičienė, if one of the biggest challenges might be quickly overcome – the limited driving possibilities in points far from urbanized areas, for example, near the country’s main roads and transport corridors, Lithuania would take an important step forward in terms of electric vehicle infrastructure.

“On the other hand, the situation is far from clear-cut. After analyzing the distribution of charging stations in Lithuania, it becomes clear that in some locations, for example in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda, as well as in Druskininkai, Anykščiai and Birštonas, which are considered resort towns, public charging accesses already exist or will soon be sufficient. However, the lack of infrastructure in certain locations does not go unnoticed by drivers and influences when considering or already making a decision on the purchase of a vehicle,” she says.

Elektrum Lietuva owns Latvian green electricity producer Latvenergo, which is developing the Elektrum Drive charging network in 2023. increased by 69 percent at the end and became the largest in the Baltic countries, when the number of charging access points installed in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia exceeded 570. One of the most important plans of “Elektrum Lietuva” this year is to install more than 200 access points in Lithuania by the end of the year. In the coming year, the company plans to introduce a new type of charging points to the market – charging centers for electric cars.

The “Spinter research” survey was carried out in May of this year on the order of “Elektrum Lietuva”. 1016 respondents from 18 to 75 years of age took part in it.