About half of US buyers has no preference positive or negative about whether their next car purchase will be an EV or hybrid, according to a recent study by Phoenix Marketing International.

The data is based on surveys of buyers who are currently in the market for a new vehicle in January, July and October 2013.

The buyers of luxury SUVs and non-luxury cars are the most likely to consider an EV or hybrid as their next purchase with 35.8% and 35.7% respectively saying that they would be “very likely” or “extremely likely” to buy one. Phoenix believes that the reason that the cars are so popular among these groups is that most of the hybrid and EV offerings are in the non-luxury car segment. Luxury SUVs are so popular because hybrids and EVs embody the latest in automotive technology.

Pickup truck buyers are the absolute least likely to by an electrified vehicle. Their owners reported 19.8% “very” or “extremely unlikely” to consider purchasing one, and they were 25.7% negative towards buying an EV or hybrid at all. It is the lowest statistic among any market segment. While pickup owners have had alternatives like diesel and natural gas for years, they are still reticent to change to electrification.

“We’ve seen a generally positive response to ads that promote hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle offerings. Just mentioning the availability of a hybrid tends to get consumers’ attention as it serves as a proxy for other concerns like fuel economy and innovation,” said Phoenix Analyst Kevin Severance.

Source: Auto Evolution