Despite major announcements in recent days from both Ford and Nissan about stepped-up development of electric cars, just 17% of Americans say it is at least somewhat likely that the next car they buy will be all-electric.
That’s down four points from last August, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey
The new finding includes six percent (6%) say they’re very likely to buy an electric car next, compared to eight percent (8%) in the previous survey.
Seventy-five percent (75%) are not likely to go that route. That includes 40% who are not very likely to buy an electric car next and 35% who say they are not at all likely to buy one as their next car purchase.
There’s also been a slight reduction in the number who say they are likely to buy an electric car in the next 10 years since August when President Obama announced $2.4 billion in federal grants to spur the production of electric cars. At that time, 40% said they were at least somewhat likely to buy an electric car in the next decade, including 14% who said it was very likely.
Now, 36% say they are at least somewhat likely to buy such a vehicle in the next 10 years, with 12% who say it’s very likely. Fifty-seven percent (57%) are not likely to buy an electric car in that time frame, including 32% who say they are not very likely to do so and 25% who say they are not at all likely to buy one.
Going green isn’t the chief motivation for buying an electric car. Forty-six percent (46%) say they are more likely to buy that kind of car because of high gas prices. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say they’re motivated more by the fact that it’s good for the environment. Twenty-seven percent (27%) aren’t sure.
Adults 18 to 29 are more likely to consider the purchase of an electric car in the next 10 years than those in any other age group. But reluctance to buy such a car next is common among Americans of all ages.
Those earning more than $60,000 per year are more likely to say they’ll buy an electric car in the next decade than those who earn less.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Republicans and the plurality (44%) of adults not affiliated with either major party cite higher gas prices as their primary motivation for considering the purchase of an electric car. Democrats are evenly divided between higher gas prices and concern for the environment.
