The California Air Resources Board has published the results of a survey of plug-in vehicle buyers who received rebates from the state. The online data is available for researchers, policymakers and the public to learn about who is buying plug-in cars (PEVs) in California, and why.

Between March 2010 and March 2014, about 191,000 PEVs were sold in the US, more than 83,000 of those in California. Roughly 70 percent of California PEV drivers have taken advantage of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP).

The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), which administers the CVRP and the survey for the ARB, has issued more than $130 million for more than 60,000 rebates since the program began. Currently CCSE is processing more than 3,000 rebates per month. 

Current survey results cover California PEV drivers who purchased or leased their vehicles after August 2012. Responses to the survey include:

• Primary motivations for purchase, filtered by vehicle type, manufacturer and location;
• Driver demographics, including age, gender, income, housing type and education;
• Awareness of special PEV time-of-use electricity rates;
• Experience at the dealership; and
• Relative importance of various information avenues while shopping for a vehicle.

The online portal offers interactive access to the survey results, including the ability to tailor queries by filtering the data in various ways, such as by manufacturer, geography or vehicle technology. It also offers an online map showing region-specific PEV adoption rates.

Source: ARB via Green Car Congress