9:25 pm, June 26, 2008
NEW car buyers are willing to pay up to 30 per cent more for zero-emissions vehicles, show new findings.
However, they’re less happy about accepting any compromises on space, performance or utility, said a survey conducted by Liberty Electric Cars.
Nearly two-thirds of people said they’d pay up to a third more for a car that helped address global warming by not emitting any tailpipe emissions. However, 45 per cent said that they would not be willing to downsize to a city car, with less performance, in order to go green.
What’s more, 55 per cent expected an electric car to have a driving range of more than 100 miles.
Barry Shrier, CEO of Liberty Electric Cars, which is developing the world’s first zero emission electric Range Rover, said: ‘The product development message is clear. As car buyers move to more environmentally-friendly technologies, they want the best of both worlds; cars that deliver on performance, safety, functionality and style, without the high cost to the environment.’
When asked what would be the ‘clean’ fuel of the future, electric power was most people’s first choice.
