A recently completed survey shows that most Americans say they are reluctant to buy electric vehicles primarily because of concerns that the nationwide charging network will not be able to meet demand.
The majority of Americans surveyed earlier this year by Consumer Reports cited the charging network as a major barrier to electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. market.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said they were not very willing to buy an all-electric vehicle. These respondents said charging network issues, including charging time and location, are the main factors preventing them from buying or leasing an electric vehicle.
The survey, released last Thursday, showed that electric vehicle range and the cost of buying an electric vehicle may also be major barriers. However, Americans surveyed seemed less concerned about whether they could fix their electric cars or how well they would perform in cold weather conditions.
Increasing charging facilities is a current priority for President Joe Biden. In June, the Biden administration proposed a $7.5 billion investment to create a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging posts across the United States. But the U.S. is nowhere near the number of charging posts. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are only 56,000 electric vehicle public charging stations in the country to date.
This is not the first time that Consumer Reports has identified charging networks and electric vehicle range as major deterrents for U.S. drivers to purchase electric vehicles. Last year it was reported that one in five electric car owners in California had reverted to using fuel-powered vehicles because they were too much of a hassle to charge.
Even those drivers who stick with electric cars have similar concerns. In June, a reporter who took a 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) driving trip in an electric car found that the availability of charging posts and the speed of charging electric cars increased travel time.
Consumer Reports interviewed more than 8,000 U.S. adults to find out how interested consumers are in buying an electric vehicle. The survey was conducted between January 27 and February 18 of this year, when the national average price of gasoline was less than $4 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
The survey found that about 71 percent of Americans interviewed would consider buying an electric car, but only about 36 percent of respondents said they would definitely buy or lease an electric car, or had at least “seriously considered” buying one.
“The survey shows that Americans have a clear interest in lowering transportation costs and reducing their environmental impact,” said Quinta Warren, associate director for sustainability policy at Consumer Reports. “The survey highlights some key issues, but fortunately, many of the barriers to consumers purchasing an all-electric vehicle can be addressed through past experience and education.”
In March of this year, it was reported that consumer interest in purchasing an all-electric vehicle was on the rise due to soaring gas prices. Since then, the average price of fuel has soared to more than $5 per gallon across the United States.
In June, it was reported that more Uber drivers were also switching to electric vehicles. One Uber driver said she swapped her Toyota Camry for a Tesla Model 3 and saved $15 a week.
Warren emphasized, “Most electric cars are cheaper than the equivalent level of traditional fuel vehicles.” “This is true even when you consider that pure electric cars are more expensive to purchase than equivalent fuel cars.”
