Electric vehicle sales continue to hit record highs, but the pace of growth in the United States has slowed for the first time since mid-2020. And a new Pew Research Center survey finds that only about three-in-ten Americans say they would very or somewhat seriously consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV), down 9 percentage points in the past year.
Amid this softening interest, we asked Americans about factors that could influence their choice of electric versus gas-powered vehicles: environmental benefits, cost, driving experience and reliability. We also looked at how confident Americans are that there will be enough EV charging stations and infrastructure to meet demand.
One area where Americans rate EVs more favorably than gas vehicles is their environmental benefits. Nearly half (47%) say EVs are better for the environment than gas vehicles. Smaller shares say they are about the same (31%) or are worse for the environment (20%).
However, the share of Americans who say electric vehicles are better for the environment than gas vehicles has decreased 20 points since 2021, from 67%.
Do EVs cost less to buy and to charge?
Most Americans say EVs require a bigger up-front investment to buy than gas-powered vehicles (72%). Industry data shows that the average EV still costs more than the average gas vehicle, though this gap is narrowing.
Americans are split in their perceptions of the cost of charging or fueling these vehicles. Some 36% say EVs cost less to charge than gas-powered vehicles do to fuel, while 28% say EVs cost more and 32% think the costs are about the same.
Are EVs more fun to drive?
EV enthusiasts tout EVs’ faster acceleration and quiet engines as selling points over gas vehicles. But in our survey, just 13% say EVs are more fun to drive than gas vehicles. More than half (59%) say the two types of vehicles are about equally fun to drive.
Are EVs more reliable?
Amid reports about problems some EV owners have encountered, such as battery issues and squeaky brakes, half of Americans say electric vehicles are less reliable than gas vehicles. That share is up 16 points from 2021. Only 9% say EVs are more reliable, while 38% say electric and gas vehicles are about equally reliable.
Electric vehicle sales continue to hit record highs, but the pace of growth in the United States has slowed for the first time since mid-2020. And a new Pew Research Center survey finds that only about three-in-ten Americans say they would very or somewhat seriously consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV), down 9 percentage points in the past year.
Amid this softening interest, we asked Americans about factors that could influence their choice of electric versus gas-powered vehicles: environmental benefits, cost, driving experience and reliability. We also looked at how confident Americans are that there will be enough EV charging stations and infrastructure to meet demand.
One area where Americans rate EVs more favorably than gas vehicles is their environmental benefits. Nearly half (47%) say EVs are better for the environment than gas vehicles. Smaller shares say they are about the same (31%) or are worse for the environment (20%).
However, the share of Americans who say electric vehicles are better for the environment than gas vehicles has decreased 20 points since 2021, from 67%.
Do EVs cost less to buy and to charge?
Most Americans say EVs require a bigger up-front investment to buy than gas-powered vehicles (72%). Industry data shows that the average EV still costs more than the average gas vehicle, though this gap is narrowing.
Americans are split in their perceptions of the cost of charging or fueling these vehicles. Some 36% say EVs cost less to charge than gas-powered vehicles do to fuel, while 28% say EVs cost more and 32% think the costs are about the same.
Are EVs more fun to drive?
EV enthusiasts tout EVs’ faster acceleration and quiet engines as selling points over gas vehicles. But in our survey, just 13% say EVs are more fun to drive than gas vehicles. More than half (59%) say the two types of vehicles are about equally fun to drive.
Are EVs more reliable?
Amid reports about problems some EV owners have encountered, such as battery issues and squeaky brakes, half of Americans say electric vehicles are less reliable than gas vehicles. That share is up 16 points from 2021. Only 9% say EVs are more reliable, while 38% say electric and gas vehicles are about equally reliable.
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