Poll Finds More Than a Quarter of Americans Willing to Buy EVs

Zogby America (Utica, NY) polled 1,199 Americans this December, asking the question, “Considering the price of gasoline, how likely would you be to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle if they were available, but only at a higher price than most new cars?" In response, more than one-quarter (27 percent) of Americans say that they would be likely to purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle under such conditions. In contrast, 71 percent of Americans say they would probably not buy an electric or hybrid vehicle under these conditions, even considering the current high prices of gasoline, and three percent were unsure.

The poll also revealed that age makes an impact on the willingness to purchase electric or hybrid vehicles. For example, more than a third of adults aged 18 to 24 were willing to purchase such a vehicle. As age increases, however, the likelihood of purchasing this type of vehicle decreases; only 15 percent of adults aged 70 and older say they would be likely.

In a regional breakdown, the highest interest is shown by those in the West (32 percent likely overall), while the least interest is by those in the Central/Great Lakes region (24 percent likely overall).

Zogby's has a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent. Rounding prevents all percentages from adding up to 100.