Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- The electric car market has arrived; automakers committing to production
- High battery costs prevent automakers from offering an affordable electric
- China poses a threat to U.S. electric car and battery manufacturers
- Government investment helping drive electric car technology
- High gas prices, overall “greening” of consumers are major market drivers
- Toyota hopes to build Prius brand in the new market for electric vehicles
- Automakers forming key partnerships to stay competitive
- Automakers setting immediate goals to get EVs on the road
- Consumer survey results
Insights and Opportunities
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- With the saturation of “hybrid,” EVs can market technology instead
- Create an intelligent vehicle
- Buying the miles without the battery: A new EV business model
- Let the consumer pay only for miles driven
Inspire Insights
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- Trend 1: Handled With Care
- Feel-Anthropy: The return of the philanthropic feelgood factor
- Driving your EV or hybrid: Not just good for you, it’s good for everyone
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Hybrid market predicted to grow to 11.28 million vehicles by 2020
Competitive Context
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- Overview
- Lithium-ion battery cost threatens electric car’s power, affordability
- Nation’s electrical grid currently insufficient to support expected EV boom
- Chinese auto industry expects to produce 500,000 electric cars by 2011
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Extended range plug-ins and pure EVs are the next wave of green cars
Segment Performance—Series Hybrids
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- Key points
- Series hybrids represent the simplest electric, but also more expensive
Segment Performance—Parallel Hybrids
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- Key points
- Parallel hybrid segment best represented by Honda Insight
Segment Performance—Power-split Hybrid
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- Key points
- Toyota’s novel design with Prius produces world’s bestselling hybrid
Segment Performance—Extended Range Plug-Ins
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- Key points
- Plug-in hybrid electric launches expected for 2011, threatened by cost
- Hybrid kits available to transform ordinary hybrids into full EVs
Segment Performance—Pure Electrics
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- Key points
- Pure electric prototypes could represent the electric market of the future
- Hydrogen-driven cars remain in infancy due to cost, technology difficulties
- Despite challenges, Honda is at the forefront of fuel cell technology
Market Drivers
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- $2.4 billion in stimulus funds awarded to accelerate battery development
- Unstable gas price fluctuation may affect EV sales over long term
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- Figure 1: U.S. gasoline prices, 2003-09
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Overview
- Toyota Motor Co.
- General Motors
- Ford Motor Company
- Chrysler LLC
- Honda Motor Co.
- Nissan Motor Co.
- Hyundai Motor Co.
Brand Qualities
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- Prius builds upon its brand as the original hybrid
- Tesla Motors seizes on first-mover advantage
Innovation and Innovators
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- Ford’s Sync develops communication system to help drivers recharge
- Automakers form key partnerships to stay competitive in EV production
- General Motors and LG Chem
- Nissan working with state power provider, city of Seattle
- Ford saved money by partnering with supplier to develop plug-in Focus
Advertising and Promotion
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- Getting EVs on the road and in the consumer’s mind
- It’s not easy being green: blue replaces green to emphasize clean driving
- Toyota positions the Prius as a launch pad for future EV technologies
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- Figure 2: Toyota television ad, 2009
- Honda forgoes environmental image in favor of one that emphasizes fun
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- Figure 3: Honda television ad, 2009
- Prius Ad stresses harmony between man, nature, and machine
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- Figure 4: Toyota television ad, 2009
- Chevy takes the Malibu from assembly line to forest
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- Figure 5: Chevrolet Malibu television ad, 2009
Vehicle Ownership
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- Key points
- Compact, smaller cars are among the most commonly purchased vehicles
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- Figure 6: Vehicle ownership, by gender, July 2009
- SUVs remain the vehicle of choice for young drivers
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- Figure 7: Vehicle ownership, by age, July 2009
- Consumer taste for small vehicles spans across all household incomes
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- Figure 8: Vehicle ownership, by household income, July 2009
Vehicle Purchasing Factors
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- Key points
- Electric car purchasing threatened by devalue of environmentalism
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- Figure 9: Vehicle purchasing factors, July 2009
- Impact on the environment: Gender
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- Figure 10: Impact on the environment as a purchase factor, by gender, July 2009
- Impact on the environment: Age
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- Figure 11: Impact on the environment as a purchase factor, by age, July 2009
- Good gas mileage: Gender
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- Figure 12: Good gas mileage as a purchase factor, by gender, July 2009
- Good gas mileage: Age
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- Figure 13: Good gas mileage as a purchase factor, by age, July 2009
Hybrid Satisfaction
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- Key points
- For many consumers, gas mileage still not as good as expected
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- Figure 14: Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage, by gender, July 2009
- Hybrid owners small in numbers, many still need gas-mileage solutions
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- Figure 15: Hybrid vehicle ownership, by gender, July 2009
Driving Participation
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- Key points
- Most driving is done over short distances
- Females spend more time than men driving locally
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- Figure 16: Driving habits, by gender, July 2009
- Higher household income corresponds to greater city/local driving
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- Figure 17: Driving habits, by household income, July 2009
Willingness to Purchase an Electric
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- Key points
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- Figure 18: Likelihood of electric car purchase, by gender, July 2009
- Young consumers are prospective EV buyers
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- Figure 19: Likelihood of electric car purchase, by age, July 2009
- Higher-income households more likely to purchase plug-in electrics
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- Figure 20: Likelihood of electric car purchase, by household income, July 2009
Consumer Knowledge of Electric Cars
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- Key points
- Halfway there: But consumer EV awareness has room to grow
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- Figure 21: Consumer knowledge of electric cars, by gender, July 2009
- Young consumers lag in EV intelligence
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- Figure 22: Consumer knowledge of electric cars, by age, July 2009
Consumer Concerns About Electric Cars
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- Key points
- Battery issues top list of consumer concerns
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- Figure 23: Consumer concerns about electric cars, by gender, July 2009
- More affluent consumers respond, show us performance
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- Figure 24: Consumer concerns about electric cars, by household income, July 2009
Consumer Opinion on Electric Car Mandates, Funding
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- Key points
- Consumers not likely to push back against government incentives for EVs
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- Figure 25: Consumer opinions on electric car mandates, by gender, July 2009
- As household income rises, respondents more likely to support incentives
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- Figure 26: Consumer concerns about electric cars, by household income, July 2009
Race and Hispanic Origin
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- Key points
- SUVs and small vehicles drive Hispanic buying
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- Figure 27: Vehicle ownership, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
- Impact on the environment: Race
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- Figure 28: Impact on the environment as a purchase factor, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
- Good gas mileage: Race
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- Figure 29: Good gas mileage as a purchase factor, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
- A third of Hispanics open to purchasing an electric car
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- Figure 30: Likelihood of electric car purchase, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
- Black and Hispanic consumers less concerned about battery issues
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- Figure 31: Consumer concerns about electric cars, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
Cluster Analysis
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- Possible Pluggers
- The Amped
- Combustibles
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 32: Electric car clusters, July 2009
- Figure 33: Vehicle choice, by electric car clusters, July 2009
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- Figure 34: Driving frequency, by electric car clusters, July 2009
- Figure 35: Plug-in consideration, by electric car clusters, July 2009
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- Figure 36: Electric car knowledge, by electric car clusters, July 2009
- Figure 37: Electric car concerns, by electric car clusters, July 2009
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- Figure 38: Purchasing factors, by electric car clusters, July 2009
- Figure 39: Purchase satisfaction, by electric car clusters, July 2009
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- Figure 40: Support of government mandates, by electric car clusters, July 2009
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 41: Electric car clusters, by gender, July 2009
- Figure 42: Electric car clusters, by age, July 2009
- Figure 43: Electric car clusters, by household income, July 2009
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- Figure 44: Electric car clusters, by race, July 2009
- Figure 45: Electric car clusters, by Hispanic origin, July 2009
- Cluster methodology
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage by household income
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- Figure 46: Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage, by household income, July 2009
- Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage by gender
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- Figure 47: Gas mileage vehicle satisfaction, by gender, July 2009
- Impact on the environment: Household income
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- Figure 48: Impact on the environment as a purchase factor, by household income, July 2009
- Good gas mileage: household income
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- Figure 49: Good gas mileage as a purchase factor, by household income, July 2009
- Driving habits by age
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- Figure 50: Driving habits, by age, July 2009
- Consumer knowledge of electric cars by household income
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- Figure 51: Consumer knowledge of electric cars, by household income, July 2009
- Consumer opinions of government mandates by age
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- Figure 52: Consumer opinions of government mandates, by age, July 2009
- Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage by race or Hispanic origin
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- Figure 53: Consumer attitudes towards gas mileage, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
- Likelihood of electric car purchase by race or Hispanic origin
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- Figure 54: Likelihood of electric car purchase, by race or Hispanic origin, July 2009
Appendix: Trade Associations
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