In brief
A recent survey reveals that while charging stations are growing in number—over 12,000 new fast chargers added this year—40% of Americans remain hesitant to own electric vehicles (EVs) due to worries about range and charging time. An environmental advocate highlights ongoing efforts to change perceptions and ease fears about EV charging availability. The U.S. government is investing significantly in charging infrastructure, addressing rural gaps while also grappling with the high initial costs of EVs.
KENT, Conn. (AP) — For most Americans, there’s less reason than ever to worry about finding chargers to fuel up an electric vehicle. But charging worries remain a top hesitation for potential buyers, second only to sticker shock.
Those concerns linger even as fast chargers multiply. More than 12,000 have been added within a mile of U.S. highways and interstates just this year, an Associated Press analysis of data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows. That’s about a fifth of quick-charging ports now in operation.
Yet a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago finds about 4 in 10 of U.S. adults still point to range and charging time as “major” reasons they wouldn’t buy an EV. That’s significant considering only about 2 in 10 Americans say they would be “extremely” or “very” likely to make a new or used electric vehicle their next car purchase.
Daphne Dixon, leader of a nonprofit that advocates for clean transportation, is actively working to dispel range anxiety. She has taken a coast-to-coast road trip in an EV each year since 2022, posting snapshots of the charging experience along her 3,000-mile (4,828-kilometer) route, hoping to “bust” Americans’ anxiety about range and charging.
Traveling on Interstate 80, drivers can encounter few stretches more than 10 miles away from a fast charger, illustrating that infrastructure improvements are ongoing. The miles on I-80 covered by fast chargers has increased by 44% since 2021.
While many are concerned about charging, cost remains the most commonly stated reason for avoiding EVs, with the AP-NORC/EPIC poll indicating that more than 80% of adults noted high prices as a barrier.
In Connecticut, for example, government plans to install more charging stations are underway, with a recent plan to use $1.3 million in federal funds to increase fast-charging availability to help ease these concerns about charging accessibility.
Despite a growing commitment to EV infrastructure, the path forward involves tackling both the perception of charging availability and the pressing concerns over vehicle costs.
