Safety most important to electric vehicle buyers in SA
“Where will I charge the car, and what about load-shedding?” are common questions when talking about potential electric-vehicle (EV) ownership with South African motorists. It comes as no surprise, given the frequency of power failures, and that very few fuel stations have installed EV chargers.
Interestingly enough, a study AutoTrader conducted in South Africa reveals safety as the most influential factor when choosing an electric vehicle. Respondents rated the influence of battery efficiency, technology, environmental friendliness and price second to fifth, respectively. “Some might say this indicates a fear of the unknown, but to me it shows the desire to own an EV is going mainstream,” said George Mienie, AutoTrader‘s CEO. In total, over 285 000 searches for EVs were conducted in the first six months of 2021 on AutoTrader, indicating an increase in demand of over 211% versus the same time a year ago (albeit off a low base). “So many people are killed in road accidents. Buyers want comprehensive protection in their cars,” Mienie elaborated. “If potential EV buyers are even just slightly more concerned with safety than with battery efficiency, it suggests motorists are beginning to perceive EVs as ‘normal’ cars. It seems motorists are accepting the downsides of EV ownership, because there are more upsides,” he said. When asked to choose the biggest EV disadvantage, respondents placed range anxiety in seventh place. Purchase price, in fourth place, was seen as a bigger drawback, while respondents chose charge duration as the biggest disadvantage. “This is understandable,” Mienie explained. “If motorists view EVs as ‘normal’, they want the convenience of a quick refuel. But, as soon as they start using EVs, most owners find they don’t stop at public chargers. The reason is that few motorists drive more than 70 kilometres in a day, which is usually less than 40% of the battery’s capacity. Putting that 40% back into the battery, while charging at home, is fairly easy – even when load-shedding occurs.” So, how safe are electric cars? “EVs are extremely safe, for two reasons: Those heavy battery packs sit at floor level, giving these cars a very low centre of gravity. This makes it virtually impossible to flip an EV,” Mienie explained. “Secondly, because there’s no engine (in the front), crash energy doesn’t transfer through the engine and into the cabin.” But what about the risk of the super high-voltage batteries catching fire? “Yes, there is a risk, and the fires are hard to put out because EV batteries store so much power. But fire risk is greater in petrol cars, because the fuel is highly flammable. These fires are more common, but because modern electric cars are a novelty, EV fires get the headlines,” Mienie concluded.
2021 AutoTrader Mid-Year Industry Report.
