Eight out of 10 Latin Americans are willing to buy an electric vehicle, according to a study commissioned by Japanese carmaker Nissan.

With the proper measures, Latin America has opportunities to speed up the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles, according to the study by C230, a consultant branch of the think tank Fundacion IDEA. While 80% of people in the region have heard of electric vehicles, only one in 10 has traveled in an EV, the study shows.

The study, commissioned by Nissan Latin America and conducted by C230, a consultant branch of the think tank Fundación IDEA, was carried out through an online survey of a total of 5,769 consumers (men and women between 18 and 65 years of age) in five Latin American countries on February 22-23, 2018. The countries included in the survey are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru. Survey questions were designed to collect information regarding perceptions about mobility, electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles in Latin America.

Highlights of the survey were announced last week at the Nissan Futures Latin America event in Sao Paulo. At the event, Nissan confirmed its commitment to keep contributing to the development of mobility in the region through Nissan Intelligent Mobility – the company's vision for changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated into society.

The C230 study surveyed a total of 5,769 people in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru to measure awareness of new mobility technologies. The results provide insights on topics such as:

Opportunities to introduce electric vehicles
80% of respondents expressed willingness to buy an electric vehicle, as they consider it to be a solution that can help reduce air pollution.

73% think charging an electric vehicle costs less than using fossil fuels.

While there's openness toward acquiring and learning more about electric vehicles, consumers expressed some concerns:

75% believe locating a charging point could be complicated.

60% are concerned that the range of electric vehicles won't cover their daily travel.

63% are concerned that the time it takes to charge the vehicle might be too long.

Autonomous vehicles
Awareness of and attitudes toward autonomous driving technologies show there's an opportunity to explore the subject further:

Only 35% of those surveyed had heard about autonomous vehicles; however, 69% expressed willingness to use an autonomous vehicle after the concept was explained to them.

54% expressed a positive opinion of autonomous vehicles, mainly regarding how these may help improve mobility and safety on the streets of Latin American cities.

58% believe autonomous vehicles would improve mobility in their cities, and 6 out of 10 believe trips in such vehicles would be much more comfortable.

70% believe accidents could be reduced with autonomous vehicles; 72% said accidents would also be less severe.

64% would be willing to acquire an autonomous vehicle if the cost was similar to that of a traditional vehicle.

LatAm open to new mobility technologies
The study's findings contribute to understanding consumers' opinions about new mobility technologies in Latin America. They show that adoption of electric vehicles is feasible, thanks to the positive perceptions.

With regard to autonomous driving technologies, there's an opportunity to share more information and knowledge. There's also a positive acceptance level to the degree that such technologies may contribute positively to air quality, commuting times and road safety.

During the Nissan Futures event, Nissan announced it will introduce the new Nissan Leaf EV in Latin America. The new Leaf will initially go on sale in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uruguay and Puerto Rico, during the next fiscal year.

The Leaf is the undisputed leader in electric vehicle sales worldwide. More than 300,000 Leafs have been sold since the model was first launched in 2010.