Helpful Surveys, Or Not | Green Energy News

November 9, 2003 – Vol.8 No.33

HELPFUL SURVEYS, OR NOT.

Consumers, industry and government actually use survey results to make decisions regarding purchases, new products, or policy.

Good polling leads to good results. The opposite is also true.

In an online poll conducted by WIRED magazine of its Pulse reader panel, 99 percent of 756 respondents said that they were aware of hybrid vehicles and 94 percent said that they would consider purchasing one. Similar high percentages were given to hybrids for environmental friendliness (93 percent), fuel efficiency (93 percent), miles per gallon (91 percent). And most (66 percent) felt that hybrid vehicles were quiet and smooth to drive.

Respondents also think that hybrids would be equal to conventional vehicles in value, reliability, safety, comfort and features/amenities .

Yet most thought that conventional vehicles were superior in price (68 percent) driving performance (65 percent) and luxuriousness by a small margin (51 percent)

And from which manufacturers would readers consider buying a hybrid? Honda (68 percent), Toyota (62 percent) and Volkswagen (43 percent).

WIRED editorializes by saying that hybrids don’t have as high a mountain to climb in these areas as the industry thinks.

Wait!

Volkswagen - 43 percent?

Volkswagen doesn’t sell hybrids.

These respondents said they were aware of hybrids? How can they judge things like quietness and being smooth to drive when they don’t know exactly which cars are hybrids? It’s nice to see such positive results for hybrids, but how useful is this survey if the respondents AREN’T really well informed?

And the title of the Press Release for the survey?

Hybrid Cars: Awareness and Purchase Considerations are High- No Visibility for U.S. Brands.

There are no U.S. brands currently on the market. That’s why they’re not visible.

Socratic Technologies manages the WIRED Pulse reader panel. http:/www.sotech.com/