A recent study by Reuters has shed light on the state of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption in America. The study revealed that 34% of Americans would consider purchasing an EV as their next vehicle, while 31% ruled it out. Unsurprisingly, the study also found that there is a clear political divide on this issue, with 50% of Democrats willing to consider an EV, while only 26% of Republicans and 27% of Independents responded positively.
The study also explored the price and range preferences of potential EV buyers. It found that 56% of respondents would not pay more than $49,999 for an EV, while 37% expected a minimum range of 300 miles (482 km) from their EV. Interestingly, 35% of those surveyed wanted an EV with a range of 500 miles or more, a feature currently only offered by one EV model available in the United States.
See also: Charging infrastructure is still the main problem of EV adoption, Ford CEO says
Despite the growing popularity of EVs, they only accounted for 5.6% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year. However, President Joe Biden has set an ambitious goal of having 50% of all new vehicles sold in the country in 2030 to be either plug-in hybrids or EVs.
While there are now over 80 EV models available in the U.S., Tesla continues to dominate the American EV market, holding a 64% share in 2022 and selling 484,351 new vehicles locally. Ford was the second-best seller with a 7.5% share of the market, followed by Chevrolet with 4.8%, Kia with 3.8%, and Hyundai with 3.5%.
Overall, the study indicates that while there is growing interest in EVs, there is still a long way to go before they become mainstream in the U.S. market. Political ideology seems to play a role in the adoption of this technology, with Democrats being more willing to consider EVs than Republicans or Independents. Additionally, consumer preferences for price and range must be considered by manufacturers to ensure that EVs become a viable option for a broader range of consumers.
