A supermajority would consider electric vehicles if they were affordable, accessible
While 9 of every 10 Penn Medicine Princeton Health employees currently drive their own gas-powered vehicles to and from work, a significant majority would consider alternative fuel vehicles if they proved to be affordable and easy to power up for the commute.
Those are a few key takeaways from Princeton Health’s first sustainability survey, conducted earlier this year via SurveyMonkey. A total 985 employees responded, said Greg Evans, director of sustainability, and the results will be used as baseline data for comparison to future surveys.
In a summary provided to Princeton Health CEO James Demetriades, Evans noted that 97 percent of the 985 respondents drive their own vehicles to work, and only 8.6 percent – or 85 of the respondents – drive electric vehicles or hybrids. About 37 percent of respondents reported a round-trip commute of 10 miles or less, while half of the respondents commute between 20 and 60 miles round-trip.
Evans said the commuting data will be used to calculate Princeton Health’s climate footprint from employee vehicles. The data also will be shared with Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit member organization promoting environmental stewardship and best practices in the healthcare community.
Princeton Health employees listed a number of reasons why they do not drive alternative fuel vehicles – most notably affordability and the lack of electric vehicle charging stations at home, along their commute, and at the workplace.
About 75 percent of the respondents said they would consider an electric vehicle if their concerns were addressed. Additionally, 83 percent said they would like to see electric vehicle charging stations on the Princeton Medical Center (PMC) campus.
Costs/Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles cost more to purchase – about $10,000 above the average vehicle price, according to Kelley Blue Book – but a study by the American Automobile Association determined that electric vehicles cost about $1,000 less to fuel and maintain each year than gas-powered vehicles.
Moreover, financial experts and electric vehicle advocates recommend leasing electric vehicles instead of purchasing because it costs about the same as leasing a gas-powered vehicle and enables drivers to upgrade to new vehicles every few years, keeping up with technological improvements, Evans noted.
PMC will host an event June 9, from 3 to 7 pm, to give interested staff members a chance to test drive electric vehicles or hybrids and learn more about the costs and benefits.