President Joe Biden has tried to promote electric vehicles (EVs) in America over the past few years, intensifying his efforts in 2024. However, this does not seem to be working, as Americans have recorded a low interest in buying EVs, citing several reasons such as the high cost, the long charging times, and the low range of these vehicles. 

President Joe Biden announced a plan earlier this year to boost electric vehicle sales. However, a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago showed that Americans’ attitudes toward EVs remain the same. This can also be attributed to the fact that there is a presidential election coming up in a few months. 

The President’s plan to increase the sales of electric vehicles is based on the belief that they are much better for the climate and environment at large. In fact, this has been the major focus of his plan to combat climate change. He also proposed an Environmental Protection Agency that would ensure that 56% of the vehicles that will be sold in the country by 2032 must be EVs, 13% would be hybrids, and 31% could be traditional vehicles.

This new poll, therefore, sought to determine Americans’ attitudes toward EVs, the new energy policy, and climate change as the November elections draw closer. 6,265 adults were interviewed during this survey, which ran from March 26th to April 10th. The results show a plus or minus 1.7% error margin, giving them a high confidence level of 95%. 

The detailed poll examined the results and the concerns of the citizens regarding electric vehicles. According to one of the survey pages, the results found that Americans are actually open to buying electric vehicles for their daily use. However, there are many factors which discourage them from doing so. These include their range, cost, a small and inconvenient number of charging stations, and more. 

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According to the poll, the first and most important reason Americans are discouraged from purchasing EVs is the high cost. This is not surprising, as EVs cost a lot more than traditional gas-powered cars. The poll showed that 59% of its respondents cited the high cost of an EV as their major reason for not buying or owning one.  

Another very important factor highlighted by this poll was the range of electric vehicles. According to a 2022 study by the Department of Energy, the range of an EV is about half of the range of a gas-powered one. Therefore, it was not surprising that 47% of the respondents did not like the fact that an EV has a shorter range and needs to be charged often. 

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The third reason most Americans feel discouraged from buying an electric vehicle is that it takes a lot of time—“too long,” as most people said. According to several sources, the charging hours depend on the car’s model and charger. However, the average range is about 30 to 50 hours, with all factors considered. 

Despite President Biden and other political forces pushing for the purchase of electric vehicles, the poll’s results show that the level of ownership is still quite low. A low 9% of American citizens own or lease an electric vehicle according to the report. In addition, only 13% of adults in the country own or are related to someone who owns or leases a hybrid vehicle. 

According to the survey’s results, only 4 out of ten adults noted that they were likely to buy an electric vehicle if they needed to purchase a car soon. This low number is also evident in the number of sales and demand that EVs have been getting. Tesla, a popular EV giant, had a very disappointing first quarter that showed a 13% decline in sales compared to last year. 

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The poll also revealed that the younger demographic is more likely to buy an electric vehicle than those who are above 45 years of age. The results showed that over 50% of the younger Americans noted that they were likely to buy an electric vehicle, while only 32% of the Americans above 45 said the same thing. 

Over time, the discourse on electric vehicles has shifted to a political angle. Therefore, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that some people do not want to purchase them. While Democrats strongly support EVs and see them as a step towards a better climate, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have frowned against it, claiming that Biden is trying to kill the gas-powered automobile industry. 

Earlier in March, Donald Trump spoke against the promotion of EVs in the country. He also made several highly controversial statements, including mentioning a “bloodbath” that he believes will happen in the automobile industry and the country at large if he does not win the November presidential elections. Trump also promised to protect the automobile industry by increasing the tariff for imported vehicles by 100%. 

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