Serendipity35

There are over 75 options of electric vehicles that were introduced in the past four years. But it is not moving the needle for buyers. According to AAA, only 16% of U.S. adults report being “very likely” or “likely” to purchase a fully electric vehicle as their next car. That is the lowest percentage of EV interest recorded since 2019. The percentage of consumers indicating they would be “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to purchase an EV rose from 51% to 63%, the highest since 2022.

What does this have to do with education? I contend that the general public needs to be educated about electric vehicles, but much of the "content" for that education seems negative. It "seems" negative, but is it accurate?  Let's look at the barriers and motivating factors around EV purchasing.

Adoption of new technologies - cable TV, VCRs, CDs for music, DVDs, and smartphones all had a ramp-up to adoption, but they all found acceptance quickly compared to EVs. Then again, none of those technologies had the same cost as an EV. According to Cox Automotive and and Kelley Blue Book, the average price of an EV is about $55,000, compared to an average of $45,000 for gas powered vehicles. That can buy a lot of iPhones.

Barriers to buying an EV in surveys:

• high battery repair costs (62%)
• purchase price (59%)
• perceived unsuitability of EVs for long-distance travel (57%)
• lack of convenient public charging stations (56%)
• fear of running out of power while driving (55%) 
• safety concerns, including the risk of lithium battery fires (30%) 
• challenges installing home charging stations (27%)
• reduction or elimination of tax credits and rebates (12%)
• EVs had the second highest total ownership costs due to depreciation, purchase prices and finance charges

What are the factors that motivate people to buy EVs?

• gas savings
• environmental concerns
• lower EV maintenance costs as their top motivations to purchase

Are those pluses and minuses accurate or just public perception? Well, AAA's driving cost analysis found that EVs had the lowest fuel cost and lowest maintenance cost of any vehicle type. Studies have shown that EV batteries are safer, longer-lasting and more dependable than people assume. The newest EV models also have better range than ever.

Despite that analysis and advancements in the EV industry and the growing number of models, the percentage of U.S. drivers who believe that most cars will be electric within the next 10 years has significantly declined from 40% in 2022 to 23% this year.