Courtesy of The Buzz EV News, by David Sickels

As new-car buyer personas continue to evolve, connecting with consumers’ emotions and personality is more likely to ignite interest in battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This diverges from the long-standing industry narrative that environmental benefits are what drive BEV adoption, creating a great opportunity for brands to expand their messaging and embrace new customers with a varying mix of values, lifestyles and attitudes.

The environmental and running cost credentials of BEVs are clear, but relatively few car buyers are motivated by such a narrow range of rational criteria. In 2022, 43% of car buyers acknowledged the environmental credentials of BEVs as a benefit, but the same factor ranks only ninth out of 19 in a hierarchy of most important car-buying criteria, thus revealing the environment’s limited role in impacting purchases. Now, there is a deeper layer of emotionally-charged motivations underpinning the decision to purchase a BEV.

Those are the latest findings of the 2022 EVForward Europe in the U.S. and Europe.