Author Topic: Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs  (Read 2448 times)

Tjat

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Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs
« on: April 27, 2016, 12:46:11 PM »
http://www.edmunds.com/about/press/ev-and-hybrid-loyalty-falls-to-all-time-low-even-as-overall-fuel-economy-thrives-says-edmundscom.html

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A detailed analysis of Edmunds' vehicle trade-in data tells a story of many hybrid and EV owners jumping from one extreme to another. In fact, Edmunds found that a hybrid or electric trade-in is more likely to go toward the purchase of a SUV (33.8 percent) than another hybrid or EV. The trend is even more apparent when looking only at EV trade-ins — 25.7 percent of EV trade-ins went toward the purchase of a SUV, compared to just 4.8 percent that went toward another EV.

Apparently the folks buying electric cars have been wooed back to gas guzzlers due to the likely short-term drop in gas prices. It's amazing how myopic and reactionary the general/non-MMM public is...

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2016, 01:12:19 PM »
The sample here is limited and skewed - a lot of EVs are leases. They're also relatively new onto the market, so you'd think the only people turning them in are those who are unhappy with them.

Out of 5,724 hybrids and EVs in the sample, how many do you think were EVs? Also note that 5,724 is less than the number of new units Tesla delivered in March alone: 5850.

slugline

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Re: Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2016, 01:16:00 PM »
This reads like a very narrow slice of the numbers that only conjures up more questions.
These are reports based on dealership trade-ins; what about owners that sell via private-party sale?
What about owners that are trading in SUVs -- what are they buying as replacements?

I think we need a better survey to better capture what is happening. I'm skeptical that falling gas prices are really the cause.

forummm

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Re: Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2016, 01:45:46 PM »
Yeah, this study isn't that helpful. It only looks at people who are switching from an EV. It doesn't look at how many people are staying because they like the car. Or people leaving their old ICE for an EV.

My guess is that people who are getting an SUV decided they needed a bigger car for some reason and since there aren't a lot of EV SUV options (basically the X as far as I know, and that's pricey), they had to go ICE.

Anecdotally, everyone I know with an EV loves it. But my acquaintance network is not a representative slice of America.

Jouer

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Re: Edmunds: 25% of electric car owners switch back to SUVs
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2016, 01:57:40 PM »
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*2016 data consists of 5,724 hybrid and EV trade-ins captured through the end of March

You mean people like to buy SUV's in winter!?!?! I'm shocked! Seriously, without controlling for seasonality in 2015, these results are meaningless. Kinda like "1000% more people buy winter tires in fall than spring" or something.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!