In Texas, driving an electric vehicle (EV) still isn’t catching on big time.
A recent survey from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University shows that most Texans are not too excited about electric cars, even with all the talk about being environmentally friendly.
The survey in late 2022 is part of a five-year series called Texas Trends, which looks at what Texans think about different topics.
This time, they focused on electric vehicles. Here’s what they found:
- Only about 5% of people in the survey actually drive an electric vehicle.
- A big chunk, almost 60%, said they wouldn’t even think about getting one in the future.
Why are Texans not keen on electric cars? The survey points out a few reasons:
Charging Stations Are Hard to Find: About 46% of people said there aren’t enough places to charge these cars, which makes them hesitant.
Cost Matters: More than a third of the participants feel that electric cars are just too expensive compared to regular gas-powered vehicles.
Home Charging Issues: Around 36% of people said they can’t charge an electric car at their homes, which is a big turn-off.
The survey also looked at who is more open to electric cars. It turns out:
- Asian-American respondents showed the most interest, with over half considering an EV.
- More than a third of Hispanic and Black participants were also open to the idea.
- White respondents were less interested, with only about a quarter considering an EV.
- People with higher incomes were more likely to think about getting an electric vehicle.
Politics also plays a role. The survey found that Democrats are more open to electric cars than Republicans. Over 70% of Republican participants and 60% of independents said they probably won’t buy or lease an electric vehicle.
Regarding age groups, younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z are more into the idea of electric cars than older ones.
So, what would make Texans consider an electric car? The survey did a special experiment to find out:
- The driving range, or how far the car can go on a single charge, was a big deal.
- Price, running costs, and how fast the car charges also mattered.
- Even with better prices, lower operating costs, and faster charging, most people still preferred gas-powered cars.
But, there was one game-changer: If electric cars could go further on a single charge than gas cars, more people would think about getting one.
In summary, even with efforts like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, most Texans are sticking with their gas vehicles for now.
But, if electric cars can improve in terms of charging stations, running costs, and especially driving range, they might start to win over more people in Texas.
