Biden's Electric Car Target Has a Problem—Many Americans Don't Want Them

• About four in 10 adults would not buy an electric car, according to a Gallup poll that points to a generational and political divide in adoption.
• The Biden administration has proposed new policies to increase the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), which some Republicans argue will make vehicles more expensive and the U.S. less energy secure.
• However, experts told Newsweek practical issues such as affordability, charging and production must be tackled in order for EV uptake to become more widespread.
• Environmentalists and advocates argue that federal incentives, such as a $7,500 tax credit, will help make EVs more affordable and put the U.S. at the forefront of the green economy.

Some 41 percent of U.S. adults would not buy an electric car, according to an April 12 Gallup poll of a random sample of 1,009 people. This, if extrapolated to the wider population, would represent around 106 million Americans who are against a key plank of Joe Biden's vision of a green economy.

While this comprises a sizeable minority, the survey, conducted between March 1-23, found that a majority of 55 percent either currently own or were considering owning an electric vehicle (EV). Those against buying an EV tended to be older, and 71 percent of those who identified as Republican voiced their opposition compared with just 17 percent of Democrats.

Experts agree that the U.S. faces practical hurdles to wider EV adoption, including the current affordability of models, the issue of charging facilities—especially for those who live in multi-family dwellings—and a lack of domestic production compared to international manufacturers.

The Inflation Reduction Act seeks to ease some of these issues. A Consumer Reports survey of 8,027 U.S. adults, conducted before the bill was passed in 2022, found 36 percent would drive an EV.

But the Gallup survey suggests the Biden administration's clean energy plan for the nation faces generational barriers as well as a politicization of the issue.

The poll's questions do not make clear whether it is referring to all electrified vehicles, including hybrids, or purely battery-powered EVs, and Gallup admits that question wording "can introduce error or bias into the findings."

Affordability and Charging

Despite appearing to peak in price in 2022, the average new EV cost $58,940 in March, according to estimates by Kelley Blue Book, an industry tracker—a price tag many cannot afford while the cost of living remains high. By comparison, the average new non-luxury gas car cost $44,182.

At the same time, while those in single-family homes can cheaply and easily charge their EV in their driveway or garage, most people living in apartment blocks or condos do not have such easy charging capabilities. And while increasing the number of public charging points may improve access, it may not help affordability.

Consumer Reports found in 2022 these two issues ranked among the top three concerns for those who do not plan on getting an EV, along with range anxiety.

A third practical concern with EV uptake is production: even for those who can afford to buy electric, some domestic manufacturers may face long waiting lists. While U.S. EV sales increased 65 percent year-on-year in 2022, according to CleanTechnica, a green energy research outfit—of which Tesla models took the top two spots—they still comprised just 5.7 percent of total domestic car sales.

Consumer Reports said in March this year that demand had soared 350 percent between 2020 and 2022 while manufacturers were still playing catch-up. They estimated some might have to wait a decade before they could get their hands on an EV.

Devin Gladden, federal affairs manager at the American Automobile Association (AAA), told Newsweek he believed the "primary reason" for the sizeable minority against EVs were those "market barriers," particularly the issue of affordability. As states like California adopt mandates for phasing out gas cars, the AAA has previously said it expects the average age of cars on the road to increase as those unable to afford new EVs hold on to their cars for longer.

However, "the Gallup poll points to a poignant secondary reason: politicization of support for EVs," Gladden said. "With the Biden administration taking an active role in pushing EVs forward, political opponents have seized the opportunity to stand against the current administration and its related climate change efforts."

"Partisan divisions run deep in America, and unfortunately, what kind of car you drive is becoming a marker for your political party affiliation," he added. Marc Geller, spokesperson for the U.S. Electric Vehicle Association, described it as an "absurd politicization" and "unnecessary."

Generational Divide

America has a historical car culture, and any practical concerns about EVs are set on the backdrop of a nation where the car has been the primary mode of transport for nearly a century. For a vast swathe of that, cars have also been a signifier of one's social standing. As Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, previously told Newsweek, many see their car as an outward extension of their persona—a possible reason Americans may be reticent towards buying into Chinese EVs.

But the poll also shows a generational divide in adoption, with 53 percent of over 55s against buying an EV compared with 25 percent of those aged 18-34. Gladden said this was less to do with cultural concerns, and more to do with the alienness of the relatively new technologies that surround EVs.

"I think about my grandmother and how she would unfavorably respond to the current EV driver practice of navigating five or six apps to figure out where's the best place to charge in public," he commented. "Because the EV experience in the U.S. is still not as easy as driving a gas-powered car, older Americans are less likely to make the switch.

"However, as the situation improves, with more public chargers becoming available and reduced vehicle prices, adoption will likely increase. It might even be enough to overcome political opposition—especially as prices decline."

Geller agreed, but noted that political leanings still played a factor. "Older people tend to be a little bit stuck in their ways," he said. "And particularly if that stuckness has been embedded with disinformation campaigns or the notion that only liberals buy electric vehicles, it makes facing reality a little bit harder for them."

An Electric Political Debate

The debate over EV adoption is quickly becoming framed along entrenched political lines. Following the recent announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that aims get more people into EVs, Republicans were quick to criticize it as a Democrat administration pushing an overly regulatory agenda.

For them, it seems, the debate is less about whether Americans should own EVs and more about having the freedom to choose. The Biden administration argues that the threat of climate change requires sweeping regulatory steps to hasten the transition to a green economy before it is too late.

"The Biden administration is trying to bend every federal rule they can find to force people into buying EVs," Myron Ebell, director of the pro-deregulation think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute's Center for Energy and Environment, said in a statement. "If Biden policies are successful, we will soon have a choice between buying an EV and not being able to afford a vehicle at all."

A spokesperson for GOP representative for Washington, Dan Newhouse—who has said of the proposal that "we really bristle at the government telling us what we can and cannot do"—told Newsweek that it was "clear government overreach."

"I think the truth is Republicans' answer to everything is that you're over-regulating," Geller said. "This is just a standard line, and I don't think that the regulations are likely to deny Americans any choice—in fact, they will broaden the choices that are available to Americans."

The EPA's detractors are not limited to just Republicans, though: Debbie Dingell, Democratic representative for Michigan, wrote on April 13 that while she accepted that "we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions across the transportation sector," policy must "make EVs more affordable and accessible for consumers."

An EPA spokesperson said that the "historic proposals build on the rapid advancements and investments in clean vehicle technology we're already seeing from industry while providing manufacturers with flexibility to determine how best to meet these technology standards." Newsweek also approached the White House via email for comment on Tuesday.

While the EPA's proposal does not explicitly call for greater EV adoption, it would set new, more stringent emissions rules for light- and medium-duty vehicles from 2027 through 2032—incentivizing manufacturers to improve gas car emissions and increase production of their zero-emission models. The EPA says the proposals would "unlock benefits" from "reducing climate pollution, to improving public health, to saving drivers money through reduced fuel and maintenance costs."

Whereas EV proponents argue that the transition to a green economy would take too long if it were to occur organically, a criticism of the Biden administration's latest push is that it might be putting the clean energy cart before the electric horse. The Biden plan is pressing the transition towards EVs while the cost of raw materials needed for their batteries have skyrocketed in recent years and domestic supplies remain limited.

Republicans have explicitly stated this is an issue they are attempting to address with the HR1 bill, which passed the House of Representatives in March and would look to increase domestic mining.

"The EPA's proposals will make it harder for people to afford new vehicles," Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican representative for Washington, wrote on April 12. "That's why House GOP passed HR1 to lower costs by unleashing American energy across the board."

"The bottom line is this dangerous new proposal will make us more dependent on our adversaries like China and less energy secure," Jeff Duncan, GOP representative for South Carolina, argued the same day. "Instead of limiting the energy sector, we should embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy and unleash energy dominance through legislation like HR1."

HR1 is an omnibus bill, and many of its sections pursue a deregulatory agenda in the name of energy security. Environmentalists have warned some elements could have a devastating effect on people's health and the environment if enacted.

Advocates of the EPA's proposals contend that the Inflation Reduction Act—the centerpiece of Biden's green agenda—provides federal incentives for increased EV uptake, including a $7,500 tax credit for those who buy American. The administration is now seeking to change which cars are eligible for the credit based on a certain percentage of battery minerals being sourced domestically or from U.S. trade partners.

"It seems to me that the Biden administration is addressing the affordability question by expanding the tax credit, for example," Geller said, adding that he saw the main concern in terms of price was EV supply.

"Ever since I got an electric car in 2001, demand has always outstripped supply. It is the folks who want an electric car who are being denied the opportunity to get one, rather than folks who want a gas car," he said.

"Clearly, federal policy can help or hurt things like renewable energy or electric vehicles, and the policies that they have proposed should go a long way to pushing this further," Geller remarked. "Lots of states—especially red states, to be clear: Georgia and Kentucky and places like that—are going to benefit tremendously from the on-shoring of battery production facilities and electric vehicle assembly plants."

Others believe, despite the criticism, the EPA's proposals will have little impact on manufacturers. "I honestly think manufacturers will shrug their shoulders because most of them are already working toward the 50 percent EV sales goal established by the Biden administration just a few years ago," Gladden said. "The electric train has already left the station for automakers, so if a new administration decides to make a U-turn on the standards (as we saw in 2017), there's likely little regulators can do to stop the EV market from continuing."

"Over the last two years alone, the private sector has invested more than $120 billion in the American-made electric vehicle and battery supply chains," the EPA spokesperson said, adding the proposals "seize this momentum by positioning the United States as a competitive global leader to win the jobs and investments of the future, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, lowering consumer costs, and cutting harmful air pollution."

To that end, the burgeoning EV market may still have a wider customer base than perhaps even those future customers currently believe. Gallup notes that prior polling has found that "Americans aren't always the best judge of their future behavior when it comes to technology," citing a 2000 survey which showed a quarter of Americans never thought they would own a smartphone.

Geller suggested Americans' sentiments towards EVs would soften once they saw their peers starting to buy into them and vaunt their benefits, adding: "A poll about this, on a certain level, simply doesn't matter."