The biggest deterrant for purchasing a BEV is the exorbitant price requested for a battery pack powering an automobile.
Something seems to be basically wrong in the market.  Diverse R&D departments are claiming that the price of a mass-produced Li-Ion battery is below that of a conventional lead-acid battery.
Nissan is preparing to import the "Leaf" to Europe and is intending to request a price of €20,000.00 for the vehicle without the battery pack.  What the hell kind of calculations are the manufacturers applying to their products? Are their prices based on the assumption that "John Doe" can't master simple arithmetic?
With such price policies, they'll never lift off ground zero!

 California has heard markets decried before.  Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the biggies built a few hundred non-competing cars with limited markets.  The GM EV1 sports car leased to movie stars and 6 figure USD incomes.  The Nissan Altima SUV was corporate lease only.  The Honda EV+ mini CRV was leased to the average guy at $539 (with tax) when the average lease was $350.  With Honda you got any color they gave you and there was no discount for lease prepayment.  When Ford and Toyota actually sold, it was less than 9 months in the midst of GM and Honda leases -- only wealthy second buyers and the denied bought.  All limited their own marketing, destroyed waiting lists, decried market demand, and crushed beloved vehicles.  Without saying it they declared, "You can't make me make electrics."

What surprises me is that savvy investors bought into the notion that Chinese governments and corporations wish to be seen as extravagant.  If BYD weren't another oil puppet, they would fire their marketing chief and CEO, assuming loyal party members can be fired.  Not an oil puppet?  BYD sounds like all the others.