This July 2023, the respected Pew Research Center released its findings on how Americans view Electric Vehicles (EVs).[1] According to Pew, around four out of ten Americans (around 38%) say they are very likely or somewhat likely to seriously consider an electric vehicle (EV) for their next purchase. Majority are still not interested or have no plans yet.
Based on the demographic details of the Pew survey indicate from those surveyed that:[1]
38% are interested in EVs, 13% have no plans to buy a new vehicle, and 50% are not interested.
From an age perspective, 48% of those from ages 18-29, 42% from ages 30-49, and 33% from ages 50-64 are interested. Only 25% of those over the age of 65 are interested. As you can see from the survey data, the interest declines with age.
From a geographic standpoint, 48% of urban dwellers, 40% of suburban dwellers, and 24% of rural dwellers are interested in EVs. Those surveyed who were Republican (20%) were less likely than Democrats (56%) to be interested.
As charging stations make their inroads to even the small towns and remote areas in America, and the younger generation begins to take over most of the car purchasing across the nation, it is expected that EVs will continue to grow.
Already many traditional auto firms like Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, and others are beginning to try to challenge Tesla for leadership. However all recognize that they also need to cooperate for the total EV market to grow.
One of those areas of cooperation is in charging stations. Just like for smartphones, there are many standards (and plug configurations) that have cropped up, like the Japanese ChaDeMo, the European CCS, and the Tesla standard.[3] Obviously if EVs arrive on the market with different charging standards, and an EV arrives at a charging destination but cannot use those facilities, then there will be problems.
Many internal combustion engine (ICE) advocates claim that EVs power output cannot match that of gasoline or diesel engines, but this is not true. Electric motors have been used in mining, in elevators, escalators, trains and other applications that need to lift or carry heavy loads.
It is the battery that had traditionally been the weak spot as it needs to be able to deliver large current when needed for climbing steep hills for example. The older battery chemistries before Lithium-ion such as lead acid batteries (the type in most gasoline and diesel autos) could not do that else they could explode. Also prior to the new generation of EV batteries, the range of the older EVs left much to be desired. Scientists are also looking at other materials aside from Lithium such as Sodium to develop even better batteries for future EVs.
There are many articles, reports, videos on Youtube and testimonials that show that EVs can match the power requirements that ICE advocates want. The problem is really being open without prior bias to EVs. Powerful ICE cars and trucks are also a part of the American macho and traditional culture that it will take a while for EVs to make a dent in that arena.
As the Pew report indicates, the younger generation who live in the urban areas are more prone to buying EVs. But as more charging stations propagate across the nation, and as more of these vehicles become a staple of normal American life, it is expected that EVs will begin to take over ICEs as the dominant means of automotive propulsion in the future.
SOURCES
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/13/how-americans-view-electric-vehicles/
- https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ev/toolkit/ev-basics/charging-speeds