Current owners of hybrid or electric vehicles are expressing a high level of interest in an electric vehicle Apple plans to manufacture, according to Morpace, a Farmington Hills-based market research firm.
Morpace surveyed nearly 250 electric and/or hybrid vehicle owners in the U.S. and found about 35 percent of consumers are very likely to purchase a new Apple electric vehicle. 64 percent of consumers would be willing to pay between $30,000 and $50,000 for the vehicle.
“These are significant results given that Apple is apparently years away from manufacturing a vehicle that is ready for the market,” says Eric Roach, Morpace research director. Apple plans to manufacture the vehicle in the next five years.
Apple has not officially announced they will build an electric vehicle, but it’s been reported that the company has hired a team to produce the vehicle. Both Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co. are targeting a 2017 release of an electric vehicle.
About 80 percent of consumers expect the design of the Apple electric vehicle to be better than other electric vehicles.
