20% of Americans Likely to Purchase EV as Next Vehicle: AAA Study

According to a new American Automotive Association (AAA) study released Tuesday, 20 percent of Americans are likely to purchase an electric vehicle next.

These survey results represent a 15-percent improvement in sentiment over the same period last year, per its 2017 survey, citing lower average ownership costs than standard vehicles, lower range anxiety, and better safety features as factors.

“Today, electric vehicles have mainstream appeal,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering. “While concern for the environment is still a major motivator, AAA found U.S. drivers are also attracted to the lower long-term costs and advanced technology features that many of these vehicles offer.”

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Other survey findings include environmental impact as the deciding factor for purchasing (80 percent of responses), following by ownership costs, technology, and carpool lane access at 67 percent, 54 percent, and 35 percent respectively. Women were also seen as more environmentally conscious than men, 68 percent of Americans citing a 30-minute-or-less charging time as “reasonable” and 63 percent polled are unlikely to purchase an electric car due to a lack of charging stations.

That last figure saw a 6 percent drop from 2017.

The AAA is a non-profit research and service organization advocating for traffic injury and death prevention through outreach, with four research priorities centered on driving behavior, emerging technologies, road infrastructure, and awareness for underrepresented drivers such as the elderly and disabled. Its services unit includes insurance and financial services, along with discounts, hotel booking, and roadside assistance.

In all, it has more than 58 million members served by more than 1,000 branch offices in the United States.

A version of this story originally appeared on HybridCars.com