Survey: EV Owners Likely to Stay Electric

A Plug In America survey found that EV drivers love their vehicles, with 90% of owners reporting they are “likely” or “very likely” to purchase an EV as their next automobile.

The EV market grew 46% in 2022 compared to 2021, and electric vehicles made up approximately 6.7% of new-vehicle sales nationwide last year, according to Plug In America, a national nonprofit that aims to accelerate the shift to EVs.

While EV owners love their vehicles and intend to continue driving electric, they voiced more frustration with fast-charging infrastructure than the previous year, with the most common issues being “broken or non-functional chargers” or “too few charging locations.”

There was significant variation by charging network, with the Tesla Supercharger Network scoring significantly better than its competitors on every metric.

“We see the increased frustration with fast charging as an opportunity for companies to stand out in this dynamic landscape,” said Joel Levin, executive director for Plug In America. “With the capital from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 and increased competition in the private sphere, we expect that those investments and minimum standard requirements will improve the quality and reliability of public charging over the next five years.”

The 2023 EV Driver Survey, which received feedback from thousands of current EV drivers and those who are considering purchasing one, sought to determine the state of EV driving in the United States, with a focus on the following in particular:

What are the primary motivations for drivers and those considering EVs?
What are the most valuable sources of information available to EV customers?
What is the quality of the current EV-buying experience for customers?
Are EV owners content? Why or why not?
What are the most significant concerns with existing fast-charging networks?

Plug In America’s experts will be reviewing highlights and taking a deeper dive into the results in a webinar at 10 a.m. Pacific time/1 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, May 31. At the conclusion of the webinar, the survey’s findings will be available for download on the Plug In America website.

Financial supporters of the annual survey include the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) at the gold level and Edison Electric Institute, Electrify America and Xcel Energy at the silver level.

SEMA member companies and automotive enthusiasts have come out in strong opposition to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) “Advanced Clean Cars II” (ACC II) regulation that would ban the sale of new internal combustion engine motor vehicles by 2035. Specialty aftermarket businesses and industry supporters sent over 5,000 letters to the U.S. EPA expressing opposition to the agency providing California a Clean Air Act waiver, which is required for ACC II to take effect. Industry and enthusiasts alike have united in opposition to California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate that they said would adversely impact automotive businesses, their employees and millions of automotive enthusiasts.