A third of consumers report extremely limited experience with EVs, Consumer Reports survey finds

Willingness to purchase an electric vehicle increases with experience, Consumer Reports says, but a third of consumers the group surveyed said their EV exposure is extremely limited.

Consumer Reports asked 9,030 Americans in its 2023 EV Survey if they have seen an electric-only vehicle in their neighborhood in the past month; have a friend, relative or co-worker who owns an electric-only vehicle; have been a passenger in an electric-only vehicle in the past year; and have driven an electric-only vehicle in the past year.

Thirty-four percent of respondents answered no to each question; 5 percent answered yes to all four.

As EV sales increase, "hopefully more people are seeing and more people are knowing friends and neighbors who have them," said Chris Harto, Consumer Reports' senior sustainability policy analyst. "It might be slow for a couple of years until we kind of get over a little bit of that experience hump."

Still, overall interest in purchasing EVs is relatively consistent with what it was in 2022, according to the wide-ranging survey. Nearly a third of respondents said they would definitely buy or lease an EV or seriously consider one today. Thirty-seven percent said they would consider an EV in the future.

In addition to a potential lack of exposure, consumers are reluctant to buy an EV because they are unaware of purchasing incentives. Four in 10 Americans have not heard about incentives available for EV owners, yet 48 percent report that receiving tax rebates at the time of purchase would encourage them to buy an EV.

Harto advises automakers and dealers to be patient with EV sales and to explain EV ownership to consumers with limited experience.

"Selling EVs is different than selling gas cars, and it's going to take some more effort, some more education, both of the consumer but also of the sales staff to really become effective at selling these vehicles," he said. "You're not just selling a new vehicle, you're selling a new fuel, and that's a big, big shift for a lot of people."