More car buyers ready to consider EVs, but lack of charging access remains hurdle for some

New electric vehicle offerings, including electric pickups, may be pushing more consumers to seriously consider buying an EV, but a lack of access to charging capabilities is a key reason some shoppers say they aren’t interested, according to a new survey.

Almost a quarter (24%) of shoppers surveyed in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study released Thursday say they are “very likely” to consider an EV for their next purchase or lease, according to a news release.

That’s a 4% increase of those who are “very likely” to consider an EV compared with 2021, the first year of the study.

“The addition of new EV models has moved the needle on consumer consideration,” Stewart Stropp, senior director of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said in the release. “In fact, several new models from perennial mass market brands are at the top of that consideration list.” 

Geno Effler, a J.D. Power spokesman, said the names of the specific new models are proprietary and can’t be shared. 

The release noted that “more remains to be done in terms of transitioning from early to mass adoption” because more than three-quarters of shoppers surveyed are not “very likely” to consider an EV. 

The study also highlighted an economic divide in EV consideration.

“There is a substantially higher ratio of shoppers who own their home who say they are ‘very likely to consider’ an EV (27%) than those who rent (17%). Not only are homeowners more affluent, on average, but are more likely to be able to charge an EV at their residence,” the release said. “Perhaps most tellingly, 34% of those who indicate they are unlikely to consider purchasing an EV say they lack access to any charging capabilities at home or work.”