MONROE COUNTY — The preliminary results from the Monroe County Electric Vehicle Survey have become available. They provide a snapshot of what some Monroe County residents and others are thinking in general about EVs and some of their opinions on particular EV-related topics, including charging, performance, cost and environmental impacts.
Thanks to City of Monroe Mayor Robert Clark’s recommendation that this survey be developed, local government officials, city/county leaders and Monroe County’s business community now have an idea about where future resources and strategies should be directed as they relate to supporting EV use and general transportation needs in Monroe County. The Monroe County Community College’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Accreditation, through the advocacy of MCCC President Kojo Quartey and director of marketing and communications Joe Verkennes, offered to administer the survey and share results. MCCC director of institutional research, planning and accreditation Quri Wygonik and institutional research analyst Martin Humphreys have led the survey administration and information distribution efforts as a community service.
At the present time, 46 Monroe County residents, visitors and others with some connections to Monroe County have responded to the Monroe County EV Survey. This is important information, as it will give an assessment as to the percentages associated with the survey results. Most importantly, 74% of the respondents either live or work in Monroe County.
Nearly 36% of the Monroe County EV Survey respondents are likely to purchase a plug-in and/or hybrid electric vehicle in the next few years. An equal number of respondents (also 36%) indicated they are unlikely to purchase a plug-in and/or hybrid electric vehicle during the same time period.
Similarly, an equal amount of respondents would purchase either an all-electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle (one with both EV infrastructure and an internal-combustion engine – ICE). Furthermore, 45% of the respondents who answered this question indicated that they are unlikely to buy either an all-electric or hybrid vehicle in the foreseeable future.
Nearly 75-85% of respondents cited the following as concerns and possible barriers to purchasing an EV: lack of EV charging infrastructure; cost premium of EVs; range/mileage concerns; repair/maintenance costs. Conversely, many interested in owning an EV saw the benefits of home charging incentives from utilities, purchase rebates (from the government and/or manufacturers), fuel cost savings and EV performance benefits as incentives for ownership. This group also noted the overall environmental benefits EVs would provide over time (including air quality, battery recycling, and EV-related technology features not available on other types of vehicles).
Interestingly, over 92% of Monroe County EV Survey respondents lived in single-family homes and the majority (nearly 70%) drove 40 miles or less per day, with nearly 32% of those driving 20-40 miles. These users would, in many cases, have either home charging access or be within a range when, in normal conditions, current battery capacity would allow them to complete their daily travel without losing the majority of their charge (or the capacity to charge if needed).
Probably the most interesting part of the Monroe County EV Survey’s results was the public comment sections. One individual who owned several EVs explained his game plan for short/long-distance travel. Another wondered how the lack of contributions to the Act 51 Gas Tax would impact Michigan’s roads.
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There were praises for the City of Monroe for installing EV charging stations, several comments about EV performance in cold weather, long-term operating cost concerns and whether utilities would be able to meet power demands if Monroe County drivers were required to switch to EVs. Battery fire concerns and the hope for clean, affordable transportation rounded out the comments area.
— Tom Adamich is president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Locals share EV views on a new survey
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