Latest Consumer Reports Survey Finds Strong Interest in EVs

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

More and more automakers are introducing electric vehicles on a regular basis. 2020 has been an exciting year for EVs with the introduction of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2, and Volvo XC40 Electric. In addition to introducing more exciting electric cars, automakers are also spending money and time to advertise them to consumers. It's exactly what needed to happen if they want more consumers to purchase vehicles and, according to a new survey conducted by Consumer Reports, it appears to be working.


EVs Are Gaining Traction


The outlet conducted a survey between July and August 2020 that included 3,392 American drivers that revealed EVs are starting to go mainstream. Only 30 percent of respondents claimed that they had a lot of knowledge about EVs, but 71 percent of them stated that they would consider purchasing one in the future. Additionally, more than 70 percent of those that were surveyed claimed that EVs would reduce air or climate pollution. The same number of respondents stated that they wanted to see automakers introduce more electrified vehicles alongside purely electric vehicles.


"Consumers can save a lot of money in the long run by switching to an EV," says Chris Harto, CR's senior sustainability policy analyst. "We conducted this survey to learn more about people's familiarity with EVs, and their attitudes regarding them, to better understand what might be holding them back from buying one."


Consumer Reports' survey had a section on things drivers see as barriers to owning an EV and, unsurprisingly, similar problem areas became apparent. Respondents cited vehicle range and a lack of charging stations as the chief reasons to not own an electric car. Roughly half of the respondents claimed that they wanted an EV that could travel 300 miles between charges.


What Consumers Are Looking For


Unfortunately, Tesla's one of the few automakers to break the 300-mile range figure, which could explain why the brand's EVs are so popular. Purchase price, a lack of knowledge about EVs, and few available chargers were other reasons holding respondents back from purchasing an EV.


While EV incentives have been a sticking point for the current Trump administration, 60 percent of respondents stated that they supported state and federal incentives that helped make EVs more affordable to purchase. With price being such a large barrier for consumers, seeing this many surveyors respond positively to incentives isn't surprising.


Lastly, Consumer Reports' survey revealed that younger drivers are more likely to purchase an EV as their next vehicle than older drivers. A whopping 78 percent of millennial drivers claimed that they were interested in getting an EV at some point. Only 58 percent of drivers from the Silent Generation expressed the same interest.


"These results show that there is robust consumer interest in electric vehicles, but consumers need automakers to deliver more compelling choices at competitive prices," Harto says.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods