An initial study of the opinions of car purchasers in Poland: do they choose electric vehicles?

Abstract

Road transport causes one fifth of the EU's total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which are especially high in cities. A suggested solution to this situation is the introduction of electric vehicles (EV). However, evidence from European countries shows that, the sales of EVs are low in comparison to other vehicles, especially without any governmental support. Our pilot study, conducted in Wrocław (Poland), shows that car purchasers in Poland are aware of the difference between pure electric and hybrid vehicles (HEVs). However, the potential for sales of EVs and HEVs still seems limited as most car purchasers buy on the second-hand market. Our study shows that consumers have a generally positive opinion about EVs. However, they see strong barriers in adopting EV as none of 52 respondents decided to buy an EV.