39% Of California EV Owners Have Solar Panels (Infographic)

I’ve heard higher figures quoted regarding owners of specific electric vehicles, but this is the first “official” stat I’ve seen. California has more plug-in electric vehicles sold than any other state (12,000, or 35% of nationwide sales), and it’s now adding about 1,000 plug-in electric vehicles per month.

A recent survey of 1,419 of these plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) owners shows that 39% of owners currently have solar, and another 17% are considering going solar within the coming year.

Other notable stats and notes from the study include:

• The PEV owners drive, on average, 26 miles per day (802 miles per month) on electricity.
• 89% of owners use their PEV as their primary car.
• The owners primarily charge their vehicles at night (about 2/3 charge between 8pm and 8am). Meanwhile, “super-off peak charging” (12am to 6 aam) “is highest among owners using PEV time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates, which reward owners with lower cost electricity during those hours when the state’s electricity grid is most efficient.”
• Some San Diego owners are paying an equivalent of $0.90 to $1.90 per gallon of gasoline to charge their PEVs.
• “In addition to fueling at home, 71% of plug-in vehicle owners report having access to the state’s expanding public and workplace charging infrastructure in order to support the market for plug-in vehicles.”
• “Plug-in vehicle owners report they are willing to pay 40% – 70% more for public charging compared to standard residential electricity rates; they are also prepared to pay 2.5 to 3 times more for ‘critical need’ public charging than they are for daily charging.”

Of course, using much more efficient electric motors, these PEVs cut emissions. This is further helped by the fact that hydroelectricity and natural are main sources of electricity in the state (as compared to more polluting coal power). Furthermore, demand for out-of-state (or even out-of-country) oil is being reduced. “Because California does not use oil to generate electricity, the current electric vehicles in the state save approximately 350,000 gallons of petroleum every month, decreasing imports and reducing the overall demand for oil,” the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), which conducted the study, noted in a press release.

“This is the largest plug-in electric vehicle owner survey ever taken in California,” said Mike Ferry, CCSE Transportation Program manager. “It’s still early in the development of a robust PEV marketplace, but California is firmly established as a national and worldwide leader in supporting advanced technology, zero-emission automotive transportation.”

You can find more results about the study here: California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Owner Survey.