PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from April 2021 and discusses the growing popularity of electric vehicles.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that while 65% of Americans expect electric cars to take over roadways in the next few decades, many remain concerned about the cost of these vehicles, as well as the potential inconveniences that may arise from owning one.
The largest hurdle vehicle manufacturers have to conquer is winning over rural Americans and Republicans, as the survey found that these two demographics in particular were much less enthusiastic about the idea of electric cars.
Making cars electric has become one of the main focuses of the United States' efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change. Recently, efforts to electrify large, fuel-intensive light trucks and SUVs has become a focus as well, as they contribute more pollution than the average car. The problem is, pick-up trucks and these larger vehicles are more heavily owned in the rural areas that need to be won over. The poll also found that 67% of the 1,005 adults surveyed believe pick-up trucks are "the American way of life," highlighting another hurdle that will have to be tackled by vehicle manufacturers.
The poll also found that 46% of Americans believe that electric vehicles are not worth the cost—they tend to have a higher price tag generally, due to the cost of the batteries. When respondents were asked what they would consider when buying a new truck, only 19% said they wanted an environmentally-friendly one.
Americans' wariness towards electric vehicles differs greatly from their attitudes towards another emerging industry—cryptocurrency. The digital currency has had quite a year, with millions of users beginning to invest after Reddit stock traders shook the investing world up by managing to make GameStop's stock jump to 10 times experts' valuation.
Despite the hesitancy, several automakers have announced the release of electric vehicles in the past few months. Both Ford and GM are planning to release all-electric trucks in the new few years, for example.
"By 2030 we expect 40% of our global mix to be fully electric and we'll achieve that by electrifying our most popular name plates," Darren Palmer, Ford's North America Electric Vehicle general manager told Reuters.
So despite the skepticism, it seems that electric vehicles are slowly but surely, starting their rise.