Americans Are So-So about Electric Vehicles

If there's one thing you can count on, it's that the majority of Americans prefer the familiar. That explains why electric vehicles have been slow to take off in the United States. Only 2 percent of the automobiles sold in 2020 were electric, according to an analysis by Pew Research Center. In fact, there were fewer electric vehicles (including hybrids) sold in 2020 than in 2018. The paltry 2.0 percent market share accounted for by electric vehicles in the United States is below the world average of 4.6 percent. It is also well below the share in Spain, China, the UK, and all Scandinavian countries. In Norway, fully 75 percent of the cars sold in 2020 were electric. 

What accounts for the slow uptake of electric vehicles in the U.S.? One factor is the phaseout of federal tax credits on some models, Pew notes. Another factor is fear of the unfamiliar. Many people are hesitant to adopt a new technology. Only 39 percent of adults in the U.S. say they are somewhat/very likely to consider buying an electric vehicle the next time they are in the market. Younger adults are somewhat more likely than Boomers and older adults to consider electric, but not much more...

Percent somewhat/very likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle 

39% of total adults aged 18-plus

42% of Generation Z

47% of Millennials

39% of Generation X

32% of Boomers & older

Source: Pew Research Center, Today's Electric Vehicle Market: Slow Growth in U.S., Faster in China, Europe and Electric Vehicles Get Mixed Reception from American Consumers