Most Americans reluctant to buy electric cars, survey shows charging difficulties are major obstacle

A recently completed survey shows that the majority of Americans say they are reluctant to buy electric vehicles primarily because of concerns that the nation's charging network will not be able to meet demand.

A majority of Americans surveyed earlier this year by Consumer Reports said the charging network is a major barrier to the popularity of electric vehicles in the U.S. market.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said they were not very willing to buy an all-electric vehicle. These respondents said charging network issues, including charging time and location, are the main factors preventing them from buying or leasing an electric vehicle.

The survey, released last Thursday, showed that electric vehicle range and the cost of buying an electric vehicle may also be major barriers. However, Americans surveyed seemed less concerned about whether they could fix their electric cars or how well they would perform in cold weather conditions.

Increasing charging facilities is a current priority for President Joe Biden. In June, the Biden administration proposed a $7.5 billion investment to create a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging posts across the United States. But the U.S. is nowhere near the number of charging posts. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are only 56,000 electric vehicle public charging stations in the country to date.