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.
