Survey finds more could benefit from electric cars

People who aren't buying electric vehicles because they think charging will involve too much hassle are wrong, says a new study from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Consumers Union.

Four out of 10 households could use an electric vehicle with little or no change to their driving habits and vehicle needs, the study says. Yet less than 1% of drivers have gone fully electric, whether it is the Nissan Leaf at the low end or the Tesla Model S at the luxury end.

•Why would 42% of the respondents be a good match for an electric vehicle? The survey says they:

•Drive less than 60 miles on a typical weekday and have another car in the household for longer weekend jaunts.

•Have access to parking and an electrical outlet at home or work.

•Need to carry less than five occupants.

•Do not need hauling or towing capability.

More than a third said they would be more enticed to consider an electric vehicle if they had a charging station at their workplace.

"Consumers who might be shopping for a new vehicle this holiday season may be surprised to learn that an electric vehicle could be a good fit for their household," sayw Josh Goldman, policy analyst for the UCS Clean Vehicles Program, in a statement.

If all the drivers switched, the country could save 15 billion gallons of gasoline each year, as much as was burned last year in California, the nation's top motoring state. Also, the reduce gas use would cut greenhouse gas emissions and save $33 billion in gas costs.

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The telephone survey was conducted among 1,004 randomly selected adults over 18 years of age and carried out from Sept. 26 to 30. Of those surveyed, 914 respondents had at least one vehicle and were asked about driving and parking behaviors. All respondents were surveyed about attitudes toward electric vehicles. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1! percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.