Many Americans Still Shy of EVs
Poll finds a minority would consider electric for their next purchase.
High cost and charger availability are two big reasons many Americans are loathe to switch to EVs.
IMAGE: Pixabay/distel APPArath
As federal and state governments ramp up efforts to push electric-vehicle adoption, the typical American isn’t so sure.
A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago finds that just four in 10 are at least somewhat likely to buy electric rather than gas-powered.
Just 8% of respondents said they or someone else in their household now has an EV. The same percentage said there’s a plug-in hybrid in their household.
And only 19% said it’s very or extremely likely they’ll choose an EV for their next vehicle purchase, while 47% said it’s unlikely they will do so.
Of poll respondents, six in 10 cited EV prices are a major factor in their hesitancy. That’s despite federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for some EV model purchases, though qualifications for the credits were recently tightened in the U.S. effort to move more EV battery production away from Asia.
The Biden administration wants half of new-vehicle sales to be EVs by 2030 as it seeks to reduce environmentally harmful emissions.
About 75% of poll respondents cited the other major reason many Americans haven’t gotten the EV bug: limited charging infrastructure. Two-thirds said they simply prefer gas-powered models.
Expanded charger availability is another obstacle the Biden administration is working to remedy as it targets 500,000 charging stations in the U.S.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry
Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →