Electric vehicles have been gaining popularity in America. And based on results from a new poll, we are about to see a whole lot more of them on the road.
The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, finds that 41% of U.S. adults say they are “somewhat likely,” “very likely” or “extremely likely” to get an EV the next time they buy a car.
Meanwhile, 47% of respondents indicate they are either “not too likely” or “not at all likely” to go electric for their next vehicle purchase. The remaining 12% of respondents say they have no plans to buy a car.
To be sure, electric car adoption is still at an early stage. Only 9% of respondents report that someone in their household already owns or leases an EV.
What’s Holding Them Back?
The poll also sheds some light on the obstacles that stand in the way of more widespread EV adoption.
Notably, six in 10 respondents consider the high cost of new EVs a major reason for not buying one. Moreover, half of the respondents believe that the lack of charging stations to be another main hurdle for going electric.
“While there is plenty of interest in purchasing an electric vehicle, the high upfront cost of owning one and concerns about the country’s charging infrastructure are barriers to more people driving them,” said Jennifer Benz, deputy director of the AP-NORC Center in a statement.
That said, companies are working hard to overcome these obstacles. And if EV penetration continues as the poll results suggest, companies in this industry could see better days ahead.