25% of U.S. respondents in a recent consumer survey conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) said they want to buy an electric vehicle (EV) for their next car — reports Yahoo News.
Of those in favour of EVs, 77% cited savings in fuel costs as the driving force behind their decision. “The increase in gas prices over the last six months has pushed consumers to consider going electric, especially for younger generations,” said Greg Brannon, a director at AAA.
EV demand is on the rise across the globe, but demand doesn’t necessarily translate into sales. Actual EV sales trail significantly behind, but they are still on a massive uptrend.
According to data from KBB, EVs only accounted for 5.6% of the entire U.S. automotive market during the second quarter of this year despite achieving record sales. Even so, sales were up 66% from the same quarter last year, when EVs only commanded 2.7% of the market.
Among the three-quarters of Americans who said they weren’t likely to purchase an EV for their next car, most cited their comparatively higher sticker prices and there not being enough places to charge them as turnoffs.
EVs being less than ideal for long-distance travel was another popular concern, but that links directly to a lack of charging infrastructure.
Last month, the White House proposed new standards to help meet President Joe Biden’s goal of reaching 500,000 EV charging stations across the country by 2030. Expanding charging infrastructure alone should address several pain points for potential buyers.
The Biden administration has reportedly also asked EV leader Tesla for help in designing a renewable fuel policy to help decrease EV prices and increase uptake.
