BMW Group Asia study reveals 46% of Singaporean drivers are ready to go electric

A brief summary of the results?
Well, after a poll involving 1,000 Singaporeans with at least 700 driver’s license holders, it turns out (at time of polling)46% of Singaporean drivers are looking to purchase an electrified vehicle as their next car, with an almost even split between a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV – 24%) or a fully electric vehicle (EV – 22%).

Misconceptions still exist though environmental benefits and cost savings are recognised.
After further questions with the objective to understand familiarity and preference regarding electrified vehicles among Singaporean drivers and car owners, misconceptions still existed among respondents, with the most common being a belief that EVs are difficult to charge (41%), and are lacking in range, travelling up to 100km before needing to recharge (41%).

That said, this same group recognised the benefits associated with owning an EV. For 87% of respondents, a key benefit was the reduction in carbon emissions, tying back to the overall desire of Singaporean drivers to go greener. Other benefits highlighted were the growing number of government incentives (65%) and cost savings from using electricity instead of petrol (59%).

It seems further work is ahead to raise awareness amongst potential customers on current (and future) charging technologies and range.

Long warranty periods are an important pull factor
While this is a given when it comes to any new vehicle purchase, it is especially important to boost confidence amongst EV buyers as post-purchase support with a longer warranty period of up to 10 years (64%) and good aftersales service (58%) were ranked third and fourth respectively as top motivators to go electric.

EVs still need to be good cars though
At the same time however, performance (55%), vehicle build quality (43%), and technological features (42%) were potential areas of consideration for car buyers. Interestingly, 30% of respondents also stated that brand loyalty remained a deciding factor.

Most importantly? Show me the money (and the charging stations)!
With local car prices being how they are, you can’t fault Singaporeans for being a pragmatic lot when it comes to making vehicle purchasing decisions. When asked about motivators that would drive them to make the switch to an EV, government incentives and access to public charging facilities were cited as the most important (72%), with access to charging at home following closely at 70%.

For those who prefer infographics, here’s something they’ve prepared: