The electric vehicle market in the U.S. continues to expand, albeit at a slower pace than earlier in the decade.
One-third of Americans say they would very or somewhat seriously consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) as their next vehicle.
This is a slight uptick from last year (4 percentage points), but still down from the 42% of Americans in 2022 who said they would seriously consider purchasing an EV.
A larger share of Americans (53%) say they are not too or not at all likely to seriously consider purchasing an EV. And 14% say they do not plan to purchase a vehicle.
Democrats remain more likely than Republicans to say they would seriously consider purchasing an EV (48% vs. 18%). Adults younger than 50, including both Democrats and Republicans in this age group, are more likely than older adults to say they would consider purchasing an EV. Those who live in urban and suburban areas are also more likely than those in rural areas to say they would be interested in purchasing an EV. Refer to the Appendix for more.
Interest in hybrid vehicles
In the face of slowing EV sales in the U.S., some automakers are focusing more on hybrid vehicles. Americans are more interested in purchasing a hybrid vehicle than an electric vehicle: 45% say they are very or somewhat likely to seriously consider purchasing a hybrid the next time they purchase a vehicle. A slightly smaller share (40%) say they are not too or not at all likely to consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle. Refer to the Appendix for more on Americans’ interest in buying a hybrid vehicle.
Views on phasing out production of new gasoline vehicles
California and 11 other states have adopted plans to ban the sale of new gasoline cars and trucks in 2035, but last month the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate voted to block California from implementing its ban. The state of California is expected to sue over the procedural tactic Senate Republicans used.
About one-third of Americans (34%) say they favor phasing out the production of new gasoline cars and trucks by 2035, while about two-thirds (65%) say they oppose it.
The share of Americans who favor phasing out new gasoline cars and trucks by 2035 has fallen by 13 points since 2021.
This decline has been driven by both Republicans and Democrats. In the new survey, just more than half of Democrats (54%) favor phasing out the production of new gasoline cars and trucks by 2035, down 14 points since 2021.
Still, Democrats remain far more likely than Republicans to support phasing out new gasoline cars and trucks.
Differences among Democrats on electric vehicles
Democrats across the ideological spectrum oppose more fossil fuel use, but there’s less consensus among Democrats when it comes to EVs.
Liberal Democrats have different views than moderate and conservative Democrats on EVs.
About two-thirds of liberal Democrats and Democratic leaners (68%) favor phasing out the production of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. A majority of moderate and conservative Democrats (56%) oppose this policy.
There is a 25-point gap between liberal Democrats and moderate to conservative Democrats who support phasing out new gas-powered vehicles (68% vs. 43%).
Ideological differences among Democrats also come into play when making the personal decision of purchasing a vehicle. Liberal Democrats are more likely than moderate to conservative Democrats to say they would very or somewhat seriously consider purchasing an EV or hybrid. A majority of liberal Democrats (57%) say they are likely to seriously consider purchasing an EV, compared with about four-in-ten moderate and conservative Democrats (41%).
