(April 9, 2024) Despite the dozens of new electric vehicles automakers plan to roll out over the next few years, the percentage of consumers considering an EV is shrinking, according to two new surveys. Nearly a quarter of car shoppers — 23 percent — said they dislike EVs, according to an Edmunds survey fielded in January. In April 2023, the last time Edmunds asked the question, 19 percent said they disliked EVs.
Automotive research firm J.D. Power also is seeing declining interest,  Automotive News reports. 


The percentage of consumers who said they are very likely to consider an EV for their next car declined in February for the fourth straight month to 24 percent, according to J.D. Power's report. The share of consumers who said they are very unlikely to consider an EV rose to more than 22 percent from about 19 percent a year earlier.

The drop in EV sentiment underlines dealers' struggles to sell the vehicles. They had 159 days' supply of EVs on their lots in February and 114 days' supply through mid-March, according to Cox Automotive.

Consumers are reluctant to buy EVs for many reasons, including their price, charging difficulties on road trips and a lack of models from the automakers they trust, said Jessica Caldwell, head of automotive insights at Edmunds. They seek brands they've trusted for years when they invest in a car with new technology, she said.

Consumers said they trust Tesla — the top seller of EVs — along with BMW, Toyota, Honda, Ford and General Motors. Toyota has just one EV on the market. Honda doesn't sell any but plans to introduce the Prologue electric crossover this year.

"These are just everyday people that probably don't even know what the [Honda] Prologue is," Caldwell said. But they know they want a Honda, she said.

Source: Automotive News