- 76 percent of Americans under 40 would consider buying a Chinese EV, study by AutoPacific found.
- Hesitancy among over 60s reduced the number of 18-80-year-olds open to Chinese EV ownership to 35 percent.
- Exposure to Chinese brands through social media is helping fuel desire, despite worries about data sharing.
U.S. buyers can’t currently purchase any Chinese-branded EVs, but a new study revealed that drivers aged under 40 would welcome them with open arms. It found that a massive 76 percent of younger Americans would consider buying a Chinese EV.
The overall interest among the 800 respondents aged 18 to 80, as polled by AutoPacific, in Chinese electric cars was significantly lower, coming in at 35 percent. That was down to reluctance on the part of the over 60s, only 26 percent of whom seemed keen to consider an EV with a Chinese badge, possibly due to the tense relationship between the two countries.
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Some of those voting ‘no thanks’ might yet be persuaded, however. Sixteen percent of the 800 people contacted for the poll said they would be more willing to purchase a Chinese EV if it was made inside the U.S because they would view it as more American and helping support the local economy and local workers.
All age groups expressed a concern about data security, which was one of the reasons the Biden administration gave for quadrupling the levy on Chinese EVs earlier this month. But the study found that the younger buyers who were enthusiastic about the cars were barely any less concerned about privacy than the older respondents who were disinterested in going Chinese.
Even considering that many of those asked said they wouldn’t buy a Chinese EV, what stood out to AutoPacific’s team is the general awareness of auto brands from China, something believed to be the result of exposure on social media.
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In a separate study published by AlixPartners lat month, 58 percent of buyers in the U.S. who were either very likely or moderately likely to buy an EV the next time they went car shopping were found to be familiar with Chinese brands like BYD, Leapmotor and Nio.
