Study: 20% of Americans would like an electric car, please

This week, AAA released its latest consumer survey, which shows that demand for electric vehicles is on the rise. Among those surveyed, 20% said that they planned to go electric when they buy their next car. That’s a significant jump from the 15% who said the same thing in last year’s poll.

To be sure, shoppers still have some concerns about electric vehicles, but those concerns appear to be abating:

Among those unsure or unwilling to choose an electric vehicle for their next car, 63 percent (down 9 percent from 2017) cited not enough places to charge as a detractor while 58 percent (down 15 percent from 2017) expressed concern over running out of charge while driving. Not surprisingly, range anxiety is less of a concern for millennials (48 percent) than Generation X or Baby Boomers (64 percent and 66 percent, respectively).

While range is important to most (87 percent) electric and hybrid vehicle shoppers, it is not the only consideration. Reliability is king with nine-in-ten (92 percent) of those likely to by an electric or hybrid vehicle stating it is important when evaluating which car to buy. Electric and hybrid car shoppers are also prioritizing crash ratings (77 percent), cost (71 percent), acceleration and handling (69 percent) and advanced safety technology such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance (60 percent). Fewer drivers are concerned with style, color, or design of the vehicle (34 percent) or brand of the vehicle (33 percent).

If you’ve got nothing else better to do on a Thursday, you can read the full press release here.