Survey participants who aspire to an electric vehicle point to two main hurdles: first, the vehicle expense, and second, the lack of charging stations. Despite significant investment, consumers who never want an electric vehicle are concerned both about the current and future state of charging stations. Half of respondents expressed fear that there will never be enough places to charge electric vehicles, and 42% reported that the range of electric vehicles will never equal those using traditional fuels.
In the face of this somewhat negative view, Americans seem convinced technology will change the dynamic for electric vehicles within the next decade.
In actuality, it could happen even sooner than that depending on technology disruption.
On average, the survey respondents believe electric vehicles will be widely available in the fall of 2025, although they believe it will be nearly five more years before they personally could buy one. (For higher-income respondents, the lag is less than two years.)
Similarly, consumers predict it will take just nine years until it is technologically and financially feasible for them personally to have their home generate its own electricity. Though 42% of consumers were not familiar with independent power generation (IPG) prior to the survey, 83% expressed interest in it after hearing more about it.