In early 2023, Americans were polled as to whether or not they intended to buy an electric vehicle the next time they bought a car. The results both were and were not surprising. About four out of ten people said they will most likely buy an electric vehicle the next time they buy a car. Even this result shows a meek future as the answer includes people who think they are at least somewhat likely. So, of the four in ten, those four are not even guaranteed to buy electric. This means we may continue further down the line with gas powered vehicles until there really is no point of return.
The poll was issued by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
These institutions published this poll at a time when the Biden Administration was especially vocal on their goals to increase the sales and use of electric vehicles. However, now with the poll we see this may be harder than they planned given consumer resistance.
The poll also included a question regarding already owning an electric vehicle. About 8% of those who answered stated that they themselves or someone else in their household owns and/or leases an electric vehicle. An additional 8% said themselves of someone else in their household owns/leases a hybrid vehicle.
As a part of the push to buy electric, there was a tax credit offered up to $7,500.
Even with this significant tax credit, no one wants to shift to owning electric vehicles. This leaves us in a very dangerous predicament because experts have already pointed out that if we continue down the path, we are on with gas emissions, we are setting ourselves up for doom. That is why as the year went on, the focus turned more to looking at automakers, encouraging them to transition to electric vehicles if they have not already. It even goes as far as to encourage them to start producing and selling only electric vehicles. This would then force people to have to buy electric, in a way solving some of our problems.
Along with this poll, 19% of Americans said they are “very likely” to buy an electric vehicle next. Additionally, 47% said it was not at all likely for them to buy electric.
