gumbyrux: Gallup poll shows 57% of Americans won't buy an electric vehicle

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Gallup poll shows 57% of Americans won't buy an electric vehicle

Think City - Click above for high-res image gallery

A recent USA Today-Gallup poll shows that 57 percent of American drivers won't buy an electric vehicle (EV) - no matter how much a gallon of gas costs. That compares to 12 percent of respondents who will consider owning an EV if gas tops $5 per gallon; ten percent if gas prices reached the $6 to $8 range; and nine percent who might be willing to buy a battery-powered vehicle if gas prices soar to $8 to $10 per gallon.

Okay, let's take a look at some of those numbers. Annual auto sales in the U.S. were around 11.5 million vehicles last year, and 12 percent of that number would be 1.38 million EVs sold per year. That's well beyond President Obama's goal of one million plug-in vehicles on American roads by 2015. In addition, the Gallup poll was worded in such a way as to only include pure electric vehicles, meaning that plug-in hybrids didn't factor into the results.

Gallery: Think City