Consumer attitudes toward plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles have have reached a point where more than half of respondents to a new survey said they believed PHEVs are as good or better than gasoline vehicles.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a report that found 52% of respondents believe plug-in hybrids are as good as or better than gasoline vehicles, while 45% said the same for pure electric vehicles.

In the section of the report regarding plug-in electric vehicle awareness, 48% of respondents were able to name a specific plug-in electric vehicle make and model. The study also found that 24% of consumers would consider purchasing a plug-in hybrid, and 20% would consider purchasing a pure electric vehicle.

In regards to barriers of acceptance for plug-in electric vehicles, 56% of respondents said a pure electric vehicle would need to be able to travel 300 miles on a single charge before they would consider purchasing one.

Meanwhile, 51% percent said they would be willing to pay incremental costs for plug-in electric vehicles. However, the study also found that new-vehicle buyers were more likely than used-vehicle buyers to be willing to consider purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle.

Respondents who were aware of plug-in electric vehicle stations, and could name a top best-selling plug-in electric vehicle, viewed plug-in electric vehicles positively and said they would consider purchasing them.

For the report, “Consumer Views on Plug-in Electric Vehicles-National Benchmark Report,” NREL interviewed 1,015 households in February of 2015. To read the report, click here.

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