AAA Northeast Survey: Over Half of Respondents Never Plan to Buy a Fully Electric Car

Public Charging Remains a Concern: Consumers Want Faster, Safer Chargers—and More of Them

UTICA—Most consumers either want electric vehicles in the next decade or not at all, finds a new survey from AAA Northeast. Fifty-five percent of respondents say they never plan to buy a fully electric vehicle, while 37 percent of respondents either already own one or predict they’ll buy one by 2035. Only 8 percent think they’ll buy one, but in 2036 or later—the timeframe when many states will implement regulations prohibiting the sale of new gas-powered vehicles. 

The survey results also highlight needed improvements in the public charging network. Prospective buyers are looking for more chargers, particularly for long-distance travel, faster speeds, and safer charging environments. And many drivers used to gas-powered cars simply aren’t confident in their ability to operate an electric vehicle. 

“Auto manufacturers hoping to boost EV sales over the next decade have reason for optimism,” said Patti Artessa, director of public affairs outreach, AAA Northeast. “But industry stakeholders seeking a complete long-term transition to electric face serious obstacles—especially from consumers who have no desire to make the switch.” 

The 1,749 survey respondents consisted of a random sample of AAA Northeast members ages 18+ who reside in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island—a region of the country with above-average market share of electric vehicles.  

Other findings of the survey include: 

Public Charging 

Consumers don’t want public charging to take much longer than filling up at a gas station—but that’s not the experience of EV owners today:Among respondents who currently own EVs and use public chargers, the majority take at least 30 minutes to charge. But even among respondents who predict they’ll buy an EV at some point in the future, nearly two thirds want public charging to take the same amount of time as pumping gas (22 percent) or are willing to take 10 additional minutes longer than filling up (43 percent). Among respondents who say they never plan to buy an EV, 81 percent say they wouldn’t be willing to wait any longer than the amount of time it takes to pump gas. 

Travel-related public charging is more popular than neighborhood chargers:The public charging locations that generated the most interest were hotels and highway rest stops, followed by parking garages/street parking. Charging stations around the neighborhood—at shopping centers, gas stations, grocery stores, and public parks—generated less excitement, but each location had some respondents who said they definitely wanted to charge there. 

Safety may be an overlooked concern at charging stations…:The amenities that respondents said were most important to have at charging stations were security cameras and lighting, followed by coverage from weather elements—not food/drink or a place to shop. Charging stations might feel safe during the day at a bustling retail area, but feel less safe at night when there is little foot traffic. 

…but the number of charging stations is still the biggest concern:For both EV owners and prospective buyers, the greatest public charging-related concern is the sheer number of charging stations, followed by reliability and speed. 

“Public charging needs to approximate the convenience of gas stations if electric vehicle boosters want to convince interested consumers to take the plunge—to say nothing of the passionate holdouts,” said Artessa. “Though EV owners tend to do most of their charging at home if they can, buyers want to feel assured that their car can handle road trips just as easily as daily routines.” 

While the charging process won’t be as fast as gassing up anytime in the near future, the private sector can make sure the process is as speedy as possible by keeping all chargers in working order, adding sufficient chargers so that drivers don’t have to wait long for an available plug, and continuing to improve the charging speed that vehicles can handle. 

Purchase Decision 

Many consumers aren’t confident in their ability to operate an EV: Nearly a third of non-EV owners said they were not confident at all (24 percent) or only slightly confident (8 percent) in their ability to drive an EV tomorrow, suggesting that events providing the opportunity to take test drives could help consumers overcome trepidation. People who know EV owners are generally more confident (48 percent completely confident) than people who don’t (28 percent completely confident), though it’s less clear whether knowing an EV owner increases confidence or whether EV skeptics are also less likely to know an EV owner. 

Fully electric vehicles are more beloved—and more disliked—than plug-ins: Opinions about fully electric vehicles are stronger than opinions about plug-in hybrid vehicles. There are more people who have no interest in a fully electric vehicle for their next car (61 percent) than who have no interest in plug-in hybrids (48 percent). But more people definitely plan to purchase a fully electric vehicle for their next car (11 percent) than a plug-in hybrid vehicle (6 percent). 

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and New York, providing more than 6.5 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance and auto-related services.