The results of a research study conducted by Maritz Automotive Research Group shows that most car owners don’t know much about the history or the future of hybrid and electric car technology. Although the automotive industry has worked diligently to educate the public about the merits of electric car technology, most US consumers are still clueless. About one out of every five of the 1,200 subjects knew that there were even alternatives to standard gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines. This means that all of the promotions, commercials and magazine ads explaining the science behind electric cars has largely been a bust. While automotive manufacturers go back to the drawing board, they will have to continue to depend on more educated consumers to purchase their hybrid and electric cars.
After taking a look at the responses of those polled, it seems that they were the most knowledgeable when it came to the Prius, but few had even heard of the Nissan Leaf. This may be because the Toyota Prius has been on the market the longest, however respondents did not know how the car is operated. While it seems that consumers are still more concerned about finding discount auto parts and paying a low price for gas, it would actually be to their benefit if they started to consider purchasing a smart car. With more car makers looking to produce many more electric and hybrid vehicles in the coming years, it will be up to Americans to decide if they would rather drive gas guzzling SUVs or purchase vehicles that would save them money and benefit the environment at the same time. Some auto industry experts are not surprised about the results of the study. Even though many auto makers are promoting smart car awareness, the sale of standard vehicles is still big business.
