__Highlights:__

- Shoppers’ worries about EVs’ price and range have stabilized, while concerns about EV charging infrastructure have increased

- Consumers are growing more pessimistic about owning an EV in the future

- Support for taxpayer-funded incentives and rebates has dropped

- Fewer people believe EVs are better for the environment than ICE vehicles

- Gen Z shoppers expect to own an EV in higher numbers than other age groups, yet are more pessimistic about their environmental impact and using incentives and rebates to boost their demand

---

__Full Story:__

Consumers’ top concerns about electric vehicles are evolving, with access to charging infrastructure becoming increasingly important, while worries about price and range have flatlined.

That’s according to Autolist’s 2024 Electric Vehicle Survey, an annual study that this year polled more than 2,700 current car shoppers between March and July 2024. 

The poll by Autolist, a CarGurus company, also found that while EV sales surged in the first half of 2024, shoppers in this survey were more skeptical of EVs than in previous years. Consumers were more pessimistic about things like EVs’ environmental impact, the use of incentives to boost their sales, and the likelihood that they might own one in the future. 

![Hyundai EV charging on street](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/6O00wC6dXTsOd2S2DLmklV/588127f5d0c2c6fc9be7eb70f076e7eb/Large-54523-HyundaiCRADLEanditselectricPartnertoDeployCurbsideChargersforElectricVehiclesinNewYorkCity.jpg)

Gen Z impressions of EVs were also varied in this survey. While these younger respondents were more enthusiastic that they’d own an EV in the future than other age groups, they were also less supportive of taxpayer-funded incentives for EVs, and more skeptical of their environmental impact. 

Let’s dive into the responses. 

---

### Evolving Mindsets

The most striking finding in this year’s survey was how shoppers’ top worries about EVs has evolved. 

‘Price’ and ‘range’ have long ranked as the top two concerns about EVs, dating back to the first iteration of Autolist’s EV survey in 2019. 

That was true again in 2024: when asked to name their top three issues with buying an EV, ‘price’ and ‘range’ each garnered 40% of the vote. 

What’s noteworthy is that they’re down from earlier years – mostly. 

In 2023, 42% of respondents chose ‘price’ as a top concern; in 2022 it was 49%.

Meanwhile, 38% of respondents chose ‘range’ as a top concern in 2023; in 2022 it was 44%. 

![Top concerns screengrab](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/66rZjWWjbPL8OMVK7Oo6as/530833fce97b758c345b2e3b635f10e3/Top_concerns_screengrab.jpg)

While ‘price’ and ‘range’ are less of a worry, concerns about charging infrastructure are becoming a bigger issue. 

This year, 38% of respondents said a top three concern about EVs was where to charge one. 

That’s up from 33% in 2023 and 35% in 2022. 

This means that worries about where to charge an EV – once a distant third-place concern to their price and range – is now almost as big an issue. 

This tells us that any technology is only as good as its weakest link. And while EVs continue to mature (offering lower prices and greater range), consumers are increasingly feeling like it’s the infrastructure that’s becoming the weak link in the equation.

The declining worries about price and range make sense. 

The average list price of a new EV in June was down 2.4%, year-over-year, to $62,450 (this excludes direct-to-consumer brands like Tesla and Rivian) according to CarGurus data. The average list price of used EVs in June has dropped 13.8% year-over-year, to $37,688 (which includes all makes and models on the market). 

![Fast Charging Adapter (NACS) Hand plugging in EV](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/74TT9D3vJ1eCvbfm2oICZI/dd88acb8c78b7a1e1238ba5dd95bbcd5/Fast_Charging_Adapter__NACS__8.jpg)

What’s more, of the ten new vehicles on the market that saw the biggest year-over-year price drops, eight were EVs, with an average price decline of more than 14%, according to CarGurus’ data. 

Meanwhile, the range of EVs is climbing: In 2022, the median range for all EVs on the market was 257 miles; that number climbed to 270 miles in 2023, [according to the Department of Energy](https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/fotw-1323-january-1-2024-top-range-model-year-2023-evs-was-516-miles-single). 

---

### Challenges Remain

For all the momentum EVs are experiencing – in both sales and the evolution of the technology itself – Autolist’s 2024 survey did find other signs of consumer wariness. 

Here’s a look at the top three we found in our data:

__1. Fewer people expect to own one:__

Shoppers were asked whether they see themselves owning an EV (or if they do now). The number of people who said ‘Yes, I expect to own an EV in the future’ continued a decline we’ve seen for several years; just 34% of respondents said yes in 2024, down from 38% in 2023, and 42% in 2022.

![Tesla Model 3s at Supercharging Station](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/2Ik37MRnA3YIDg9UYedjWV/657525335c9b88d400f189580cc92bbf/shutterstock_2115627356.jpg)

Conversely, the number of people who answered ‘No’ to this question has gone up 11% in the past two years. This year, 32% chose No, up from 26% in 2023, and 21% in 2022. 

__*What this tells us:*__ If these historically key issues are becoming less of a hurdle, but pessimism about owning an EV is increasing, consumers’ opposition to EVs may be a bigger issue than price and range improvements can solve. 

__2. Support for taxpayer-funded incentives for EVs appears to be declining:__

Respondents were asked whether they believed – in general – that local, state, and federal agencies should offer tax rebates or incentives to encourage EV sales, even if it meant using taxpayer money. 

In 2024, 50% of respondents said yes. That’s a drop from 52% in 2023 and 64% in 2022. 

*__What this tells us:__* The EV market is maturing. With prices and worries about prices easing, it makes sense that consumer support for incentives would decline. Cheaper EVs, in theory, means fewer incentives might be necessary to make them affordable. 

Also, since fewer people expect to own an EV, it’s likely that this is affecting their support for using taxpayer money to make EVs cheaper. 

Considering the economic headwinds many households today are facing, the idea of footing the bill for something that doesn’t directly benefit them is a tall order. 

__3. Impressions of EVs’ environmental impact are changing:__

Autolist’s survey also asked respondents how they believed the overall environmental impact of EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs) compared to one another. 

In this 2024 survey, 34% of consumers said they believed EVs were better for the environment than ICE vehicles. That’s a 12% drop from 2022, when 46% of respondents said they believed EVs were better for the environment (in 2023, 38% of respondents said as much). 

*__What this tells us:__* Clearer and more assertive messaging by automakers and EV stakeholders could help reverse this trend. 

Since EVs are a relative newcomer to the traditional car-ownership experience, there’s an inherent knowledge gap between the realities of an EV and how people perceive them. 

[This was recently made clear in a recent CarGurus survey](https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/articles/consumer-insights-2024-electric-vehicle-survey), which found that there’s ground to be made up in educating consumers about all aspects of owning, charging, and maintaining EVs. 

---

### Gen Z: The Youngest Shoppers

Autolist’s 2024 EV survey also found some interesting points from the youngest cohort that we surveyed: Gen Z buyers. 

Three main points jumped out at us: 

__1. Gen Z sees fewer major hurdles:__

These younger shoppers (ages 18 to 27 in this survey) are more evenly concerned about a wider variety of factors when it comes to EVs, than survey respondents as a whole. 

When asked about their top concerns about buying an EV, Gen Z shoppers’ worries weren’t focused on the usual suspects of price, range, and access to charging that respondents as a whole focused on. 

Instead, younger shoppers ranked their concerns more evenly. Factors like EVs’ reliability, their styling & design, the safety of the battery in a crash, and the lack of performance & sound of an ICE vehicle were all cited as concerns about EVs by Gen Z shoppers more than any other age group. 

![Gen Z vs all shoppers screengrab](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/61IG7oHKufrT7iSarZb90a/b11d69409d079b91527c980b8d0f430b/Gen_Z_vs_all_shoppers_screengrab.jpg)

This could be attributed to a higher level of familiarity with EVs than older shoppers. The youngest respondents in our survey (18 was the age minimum) have been around EVs since they were children. 

To them, an EV isn’t necessarily the automotive paradigm shift that older shoppers may see them as. Thus, younger buyers have fewer hangups on core concerns like price, range, or where to charge them, and instead are evaluating at a more comprehensive ownership experience. 

__2. Gen Z is more optimistic about owning an EV:__

Gen Z respondents were also more optimistic that they would own an EV in the future than survey respondents overall. 

As mentioned earlier, 34% of respondents overall said they saw themselves owning an EV in the future. But split by age group, 41% of Gen Z shoppers said they saw themselves owning an EV in the future — the highest percentage of all the age cohorts in Autolist’s survey.

Previous years’ surveys by Autolist have also found Gen Z shoppers to be the most optimistic about owning an EV in the future, albeit in higher numbers. In 2023, 48% of Gen Z respondents said they expected to own an EV; in 2022 that number was 58%.

__3. Gen Z concerns about EVs persist:__ 

Finally, Autolist’s 2024 EV Survey found that there were several areas in which Gen Z shoppers were more cautious about EVs than other age groups. 

When asked the aforementioned question about using local, state, or federal taxpayer monies for incentives to boost EV sales, younger shoppers were less likely to support them. 

While 50% of respondents across all age groups supported using these initiatives, 35% of Gen Z buyers supported this idea. 

That delta between how Gen Z answered this question and how respondents overall answered it was wider than we’ve seen in years; typically there’s only a difference of a percentage point or two. 

Additionally, the number of Gen Z shoppers who believed that EVs are better for the environment was lower than respondents overall. Among these younger shoppers, 29% believed EVs were better for the environment; that compares to 34% of respondents overall.

Autolist's annual Electric Vehicle Survey is out for 2024, and it finds that while worries about EVs' range and price have stabilized, it's concerns about where people will charge their EVs that's becoming a bigger worry. And then there's Gen Z's concerns too.

News & Analysis

Survey: Access to Charging a Key Hurdle for EV Adoption; Gen Z Has Mixed Outlook


__Highlights:__

- __An all-electric version of Toyota’s Tacoma grabs the top spot as the most popular electric truck in a hypothetical matchup__

- __Ford’s Lightning falls to #2 after two years in the top spot__

- __Electric trucks in general have lost some appeal for buyers versus previous years, in line with recent headwinds EVs of all types are facing__

- __Gen Z shoppers preferred the Tesla Cybertruck; Millennials, Boomers, and all other age groups chose the Tacoma__

- __Price remains the top concern of shoppers about electric trucks, though less so than in previous years__

---

__Full Story:__

Move over, Ford F-150 Lightning. 

The electric Toyota Tacoma now ranks as the most popular type of all-electric pickup truck in Autolist.com’s annual Electric Truck Survey, pushing out the Lightning that had landed in the top spot the two previous years. 

Chevy’s Silverado EV ranked #3 and Tesla’s Cybertruck was #4 in a hypothetical matchup for consumers. 

These rankings come as the popularity of electric trucks as a whole is waning, Autolist’s survey found. Compared to previous years, fewer buyers in 2023 said they would consider an electric truck as their next vehicle, while more shoppers said electric trucks were less appealing than traditional internal combustion trucks. 

“After years of promises and delays, 2024 will see a bumper crop of new all-electric trucks hitting the road from Chevy, GMC, Ram, and yes, finally Tesla,” said Corey Lydstone, founder and CEO of Autolist, a CarGurus company. “Despite this, our survey found that shoppers have soured a little on electric trucks, compared to previous years.” 

“This echoes other recent signs that enthusiasm for EVs broadly is cooling off, as shoppers grapple with pricing, charging infrastructure, and range anxiety,” Lydstone added. 

Autolist surveyed 3,600 car shoppers from August 2023 to November 2023 to gauge their attitudes towards electric trucks and the EV market in general. This 2023 Electric Trucks Survey follows similar surveys conducted in [2019](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/survey-electric-pickups-GM-ford-tesla-rivian), [2021](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/2021-survey-electric-trucks), and [2022](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/2022-survey-electric-trucks). 

Here’s a look at the details of the survey results:

---

### Bleaker Big Picture:

![2025 Ram 1500 REV](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/7lRGC9ZtbX143voKK2jsxS/e1e472daa59b6345cbfaf26daa80f19c/2025_Ram_1500_REV.jpg)

Before diving into the winners and losers of this year’s poll, let’s take a look at a snapshot of electric trucks and EVs in general. 

The basic trendline from the 2022 to 2023 versions of Autolist’s electric truck survey was of increased reluctance by shoppers to consider an all-electric truck. 

“As all-electric trucks moving from concepts to reality, many consumers are taking a harder look at whether they see one fitting into their lives,” Lydstone said. “As concerns about price and range remain a sticking point, we’re seeing a slowdown in enthusiasm from shoppers of all stripes.” 

To gauge interest in all-electric trucks, Autolist first asked respondents how they viewed electric trucks when compared to those with traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs). 

![Q7 EV vs ICE](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/3k8jznM6q0uAaP0CxRqMb1/1ee86e7633e973c406b803ebce3ed92c/Q7_EV_vs_ICE.jpg)

The percentage of people who said electric trucks were ‘less appealing’ than ICE models jumped to 39% in 2023, up from 32% in 2022. 

Meanwhile, the percentage of people who found them ‘more appealing’ than ICE trucks dropped to 22% in 2023, down from 29% in 2022. 

Autolist then asked people who planned on buying a truck for their next vehicle how likely they would be to choose an all-electric model. 

![Q17 Next truck electric](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/5c2JfOzy5wTzOxcjZe8uxQ/95ee999df14dc3ea14199d88a438de91/Q17_Next_truck_electric.jpg)

The number of shoppers who responded ‘Unlikely’ jumped to 39% in 2023, up from 32% in 2022. 

Meanwhile, the number of people who responded ‘Likely’ dropped to 27% in 2023, down from 35% in 2022. 

This increased pessimism about electric trucks echoes the results of [Autolist’s general EV survey from earlier in 2023](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/2023-survey-electric-vehicles). 

That survey found that fewer people saw themselves owning an EV in the future in 2023 than did in 2022, despite gains the EV industry has made in the variety of models available, pricing decreases, and improvements to charging infrastructure. 

While EV sales overall are up in 2023 versus a year earlier, the pace of growth has slowed significantly, driven by the fact that the consumers who accept EVs’ higher prices, charging needs, and range limitations have already made the leap. 

As a result, inventories of EVs are starting to pile up, especially compared to their numbers a year ago. [According to CarGurus’ data from October 2023](https://dealers.cargurus.com/drc/cargurus-intelligence-report-october-2023-recap), they’re up a whopping 506%. 

EVs are also sitting on dealer lots longer (82 days on market compared to 64 days for an ICE vehicle) despite EV prices this year sitting 28% lower than they were a year ago. 

---

### Popularity Contest:

![Q3 main v2](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/6m087l9XWV6uB5LgixgaF/fac81a38c55a71d7b179628a9ab01e7a/Q3_main_v2.jpg)

Now let’s turn to the electric trucks themselves.

As with Autolist’s previous electric truck surveys, this 2023 survey asked shoppers to choose their top model in a hypothetical matchup. In 2021 and 2022, Ford’s F-150 Lightning took top honors. But for 2023, an electric version of the Toyota Tacoma took the #1 spot, with 24% of the vote.

“Anytime we run a survey about electrification of any kind, Toyota consistently comes out on top as the greenest brand in the eyes of consumers,” Lydstone said. “That goodwill is clearly translating into high expectations for the brand’s all-electric pickup, no matter what form it takes.” 

(Toyota has confirmed that it will build an all-electric pickup truck in “the near future” but it hasn’t yet released specifics. Whether that’s an electric Tacoma that it previewed in 2021 or an altogether different model like the EPU Concept it showed at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show remains to be seen.)

While the Toyota moved up four percentage points from 2022 to 2023 to claim top spot, the Ford Lightning fell by the same percentage year-over-year. 

“We would attribute some of this decline by the Ford to the fact that it’s less of a novelty for consumers these days,” Lydstone said. “With more than a year of deliveries under its belt, the Lightning may not hold the same gee-whiz cache as the rest of the top-ranking models on our list, all of which have yet to launch.”

![2023 Ford F-150 Lightning](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1VicmyRLzP7qv8i72qwy6q/4a9ae822cd90620052cdc6d62f395db9/2023_Ford_F-150_Lightning.jpg)

The rest of the electric truck lineup was largely unchanged from 2022 to 2023; the Tesla Cybertruck still garnered 14% of the vote, with the Chevy Silverado EV leapfrogging it to 15% in 2023, from 13% in 2022. 

Key to an electric Tacoma’s success in Autolist’s survey was the model’s broad appeal across all types of shoppers. It was the most popular pick for truck owners and non-owners alike, most age groups (save for Gen Z), and non-EV owners (EV owners preferred the Cybertruck). 

Let’s take a closer look at some of those cohorts:

---

### Truck Owners:
![Truck owners](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/3ypbipi2lp2PyFfbJH7foW/1b664f1009e78610f3ca8ff05be65ba5/Truck_owners.jpg)

Autolist’s survey found that an electric Tacoma was the top pick among consumers who own or have owned a truck *__and__* among shoppers who’ve never owned a truck before (61% of respondents said they’re current or former truck owners). 

That the Tacoma was the top pick among non-truck owners wasn’t a big surprise; Autolist’s earlier electric truck surveys have found the same result. 

But the fact that an electric Tacoma would also be the top pick for truck owners was a bit of a coup for Toyota; previously it’s been the Ford F-150 Lightning that’s ranked at the top with this group. With Ford’s ICE F-Series trucks ranking as the most popular vehicles in the U.S. for decades, it made sense that this familiarity and popularity would rub off on the all-electric version of the F-150. 

Thus, it was a little unexpected that Toyota would top Ford here. 

“This surprised us because truck owners are a very loyal group,” Lydstone said. “For Toyota to outrank Ford here means either truck owners have high hopes for the electric Tacoma or they’re underwhelmed by what they see in the current F-150 Lightning, possibly both.” 

---

### EV Owners:
![EV owners](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/5nPAVKFwFn0O5m2oTkUt83/09d738032b28e5e165db43e14712d935/EV_owners.jpg) 

This was another area where the Ford F-150 Lightning lost some ground in this 2023 Autolist survey, compared to the 2022 version. 

Last year, the Lightning was the top pick for electric trucks among respondents who were current or former EV owners; Tesla’s Cybertruck was number two, and Toyota’s electric Tacoma was number three. 

But in 2023, the Ford dropped two spots and the Cybertruck moved into the top spot, with 25% of EV owners saying they’d prefer the Tesla, 23% choosing the Toyota, and 12% choosing the Ford. 

“This was another surprise for us,” Lydstone said. “Ford has proven its EV chops with the Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, yet that didn’t seem to earn it much goodwill in our survey.”

![Tesla Cybertruck](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/54zzhlvuqeSKCVTnuOSjwf/6e0d1bfcd383c130d49071c71f5014d0/Tesla_Cybertruck.jpg)

Meanwhile, Tesla’s popularity among the EV faithful remains strong, as evidenced by the Cybertruck’s popularity with EV owners in Autolist’s survey. 

The tables were turned, however, among shoppers who had never owned an EV. They choose the Tacoma first (23%), then the Ford (18%), then the Chevy Silverado EV (14%), and then the Cybertruck, with 12%).

“Clearly much of the enthusiasm for the Cybertruck lies in the hands of people already familiar with electric vehicles as a whole,” Lydstone said. “With deliveries of this truck right around the corner, it will be interesting to see how this stated enthusiasm translates into actual sales of this long-delayed model.”

---

### Age Groups:

![Age groups](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/5HR0iK1BEIVA8NPF242OAY/e2c7a78ec892f3d173c8a0bd82dcd9ab/Age_groups.jpg)

Finally, Autolist found that another reason the electric Tacoma fared so well overall: it appeals to consumers of all ages. 

Gen-Z shoppers were the only group not to choose the Toyota as their top pick. From Millennials to Gen X to Boomers and beyond, the Tacoma ranked at the top. 

The Tacoma’s age-agnostic appeal was also noteworthy because earlier surveys had ranked the Ford Lightning at the top for most age groups. As with other cohorts – EV owners/non-owners, truck owners/non-owners – the Toyota supplanted the Ford in this 2023 survey across a number of different groups of consumers. 

Only Gen Z respondents chose something different, opting for the Tesla Cybertruck as their most popular model; 23% said it was their preferred choice while the Tacoma was number two with 18% of the vote. 

As buyers’ ages went up, the interest in the Tesla fell accordingly; just 7.5% of Baby Boomers chose the Tesla. 


Sales of EVs are gaining momentum as a host of impressive new models are landing in consumers’ driveways, numerous big-name brands have signed on to use Tesla’s charging standard and Supercharging network, and the Inflation Reduction Act is poised to bring down the cost of EVs. So how is all of this affecting consumers’ outlook on EVs?


Survey: Toyota beats Ford, Tesla for Top Electric Truck as Consumer Enthusiasm Cools

Though the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, etc) is now drawing to a close, Autolist Editor-in-Chief David Undercoffler was following the strike action closely. Here are three media appearances he made on Yahoo Finance to discuss the UAW strike. 

#### August 28, 2023:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j_UaYd3p73M?si=zWq9Ns_bTptwrLxT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

----

#### October 20, 2023:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y9YNMuY0utE?si=EamVfgf_l4RTqE5e" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

##### October 30, 2023:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ks0A7e_ut8?si=IwIvpWiLHTKLVJ1O" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

---

#### Autolist/CarGurus UAW Strike Survey
Curious about how the UAW strike was affecting consumers? So were we! So Autolist and CarGurus (our sister company) polled more than 1,700 car shoppers during the strikes to see if and how the strikes were changing consumer behavior. 

Here's a quick look at the top question we asked:

![Q4 Strike Impact on Consumers](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/6ceZ2dP1dzckqJjznaYt3B/09d29a318eb32db19ebd2608a6ebfd8f/AL_Chart_1.png)

A complete run-down of the results is available [here](https://dealers.cargurus.com/drc/survey-uaw-strike-consumer-impact).


Though the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, etc) is now drawing to a close, Autolist Editor-in-Chief David Undercoffler was following the strike action closely. Here are three media appearances he made on Yahoo Finance to discuss the UAW strike. 

Autolist in the News: The UAW Strike Edition

__Highlights:__
- The top three concerns about EVs remain price, range, and where to charge them, though these have eased compared to previous years
- Rivals’ adoption of Tesla’s charging standard and access to its Supercharging network is helping to convince shoppers to switch to EVs
- In 2023, more people said they don’t see themselves owning an EV than did in 2022
- Lower-income shoppers are more likely to be put off by high costs, less access to charging 

---

__Full Story:__
Car shoppers’ concerns about switching to electric vehicles are easing, but those resisting EVs are becoming more entrenched in their views — and it’s largely based on their income. 

That’s according to Autolist.com’s annual Electric Vehicle Survey, which asked more than 3,100 current car shoppers their opinions on EVs. Consumers’ top worries — cost, range, and where to charge them — carried over from previous years but now they’re less pronounced. Meanwhile, lower-income shoppers see EVs as increasingly out of reach. 

“As the market matures and EVs themselves become more capable, we’re definitely starting to see more shoppers view them as real-world possibilities,” said Corey Lydstone, founder and CEO of Autolist, a CarGurus company. “Unfortunately, those gains are largely limited to higher-income households.”

“It’s clear from our survey that making EVs affordable for all consumers will be essential to their widespread adoption,” he added.

__Key Concerns About EVs:__
As in previous years, Autolist’s 2023 EV Survey asked shoppers to choose the top three concerns they had about EVs. 

The top answers overall were the same as they have been in previous years’ surveys by Autolist. But the delta between those top replies and the rest of the responses is narrowing. Here’s a look at this year’s results versus 2022’s responses. 

- Too expensive to buy or lease: 42% (down from 49% in 2022)
- Worried about range on a single charge: 39% (down from 44% in 2022)
- Concerns about where to charge it: 33% (down from 35% in 2022)

Here’s a look at all responses:

![Chart -1 w graphic](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/3wWpnKbp1Hiuvh7I533tE1/8e5e14f80996d46265dc4ea3cae2b4a6/Chart_-1_w_graphic.jpg)

“This is a good sign overall for the EV industry,” Lydstone said. “More parity among consumers’ concerns means that the models hitting the market today are chipping away at issues people have had with EVs for a long time.”

---

__Key Factors at Play:__

Autolist points to several factors that are helping move the needle for EVs. 

For one, they're generally getting cheaper. This is due to several factors, not the least of which is the fact that there are just more EVs to buy right now than there were in 2022. 

![CG EV 2023 chart](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/532Sc7awuprnfyxNjO3VcY/8897d9bd5ce33476cb2d322bb4dd38da/CG_EV_2023_chart.jpg)

New EV inventory is on the rise (up nearly 205% YoY according to CarGurus' data) due to two factors: Overall new inventory is improving after the chip shortage, and an influx of new models from a slew of OEMs. 

Used inventory is improving (up 13.5% YoY per CarGurus) due to higher EV sales in previous years; however, recent pricing declines for popular EV models are likely hurting supply.

“As more EVs come to market, we’re seeing greater availability of new models with a wider variety of body styles and price points,” said Kevin Roberts, Director of Insights and Analytics at CarGurus. “The continued adoption of EVs is also improving the inventory of used EVs, though less than 30% of used dealers have an EV on lot, so the industry still has some distance to travel.”

Automakers are also getting a handle on the price of raw materials and battery costs, as evidenced by Ford's recent decision to slash the price of its popular F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup truck by up to $10,000. 

Some EVs from multiple brands were also caught up in a pricing war ignited by Tesla earlier this year, when it cut the price of its models and rivals fought to keep pace. 

And the Inflation Reduction Act made changes to which vehicles (and automakers) were eligible for tax rebates; even brands that suddenly became ineligible took advantage of a loophole allowing for lessees to reap the rebates.

Greater supply and more models hitting the market also means shoppers have more choices when it comes to EVs. 

This was reflected in Autolist’s survey results, which found that more shoppers today can find an EV in a size or body style that they want, than could in 2022 (7% of people said this was a key hurdle in 2023 versus 10% in 2022). 

The 2023 version of Autolist’s survey also found that the reliability of EVs was also less of a concern than it was in 2022 (17% cited this as a concern in 2023; 21% cited it in 2022). 

“More options for consumers is always a good thing,” Lydstone said. “It means more people are browsing sites like Autolist and CarGurus and coming away thinking ‘Yeah, an EV fits into my life now.’”

Finally, the growing number of public charging stations is slowly starting to ease worries about switching to electric. 

Concerns about where to charge an EV have always ranked as a top-three issue for consumers in previous years of Autolist’s survey. But that’s beginning to erode. Not only did the number of people citing this as a top issue drop to 33% in 2023 from 35% in 2022, but the survey uncovered other encouraging signs about the impact of charging stations. 

This year, 41% of respondents said there were charging stations in their community, up from 36% in 2022. 

![2023 EV survey - EV stations in your area chart w logo](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/7gQO72jrmCJods8YG3BATv/bbc054041f02336589e7b05414c92cda/EV_stations_in_your_area_chart_w_logo.jpg)

---

__The Tesla Effect:__
Tesla’s impact is also being felt. To date, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Rivian, and Volvo have all announced they will adopt Tesla's NACS charging standard, allowing their EVs to tap into Tesla's prolific Supercharging network. 

This is resonating with consumers, Autolist’s survey found. When asked about the impact of opening up Tesla’s network, 22% said it would make them more likely to consider an EV for their next vehicle, 49% said it wouldn’t change the likelihood, 23% were unsure, and 6% said it would make them less likely to consider an EV. 

---

__The Flip Side of EVs:__
Not everything in Autolist’s EV Survey was rosy for the future of EVs. The poll also uncovered that resistance to EVs is becoming more entrenched for some consumers, and that lower-income consumers still see EVs as out of reach. 

For starters, when Autolist asked respondents whether they ever see themselves owning an electric vehicle, 39% said yes while 26% said no (another 27% said they were unsure and the final 8% said they currently owned one). 

Those numbers actually moved away from widespread EV adoption when compared to our results from 2022. In that survey, 42% of people said yes, 21% said no, 30% were unsure, and the final 7% said they already owned one. 

![2023 EV survey - EV ownership plans w logo](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/37suQkd1eBk6AHzUcHZOAa/21448c9e0a93447201378b3123f70c35/EV_ownership_plans_w_logo.jpg)

Autolist also found that in 2023, fewer people said they believe EVs are better for the environment than gas vehicles, than in 2022. 

In this year’s survey, 38% of people agreed with that statement, a drop from the 46% of people who agreed with it in 2022. Meanwhile, the number of people who said gas vehicles were better for the environment jumped to 13% in 2023, from 9% in 2022. 

“This was interesting to us because while EVs are often treated as an inevitability in the media and by automakers themselves, not everyone sees them that way,” Lydstone said. “Just because the barriers to entry are coming down, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all consumers are hopping on board.”

__Pessimism from Lower-Income Shoppers:__
Part of the problem with the adoption of EVs — as demonstrated by the results of this survey — is that their upfront costs and their infrastructure needs make them less of a reality for lower income shoppers. 

According to survey results, the upfront costs for EVs and the lack of a place to charge at home (or inability to install a charger) are viewed as a hurdle most acutely particularly for lower-income shoppers. 

46% of respondents making under $30,000 cited EVs’ upfront costs as a major hurdle, versus the survey average of 42%. 

Meanwhile, one third of respondents making under $30,000 said they had no place to charge an EV where they lived, versus the survey average of 27% of people who cited this as a top concern.  

Overall, Autolist’s survey found that the lower the income of the respondent, the more likely they were to: 

- Say they don’t see themselves owning an EV in the future
- Say there weren’t any public charging stations in their community
- Cite a lack of charging stations in their area as a key reason they wouldn’t buy an EV
- Cite their unfamiliarity with EVs as a key reason they wouldn’t buy an EV

“These results really hammered home the notion that it’s not just the high costs of EVs that are turning lower-income shoppers away,” Lydstone said, “But that there’s also a clear disparity in charging infrastructure that will be essential to solving before we can honestly say EVs are for everyone.”

***

*Autolist’s survey was conducted between February and July 2023, and it surveyed 3,104 car shoppers using autolist.com and its iOS and Android app. *


Survey: EV Concerns Are Easing but Lower-Income Shoppers Feel Left Behind

### Survey Highlights:

- 69 percent of car shoppers said they would not subscribe to features rather than paying upfront for them

- Younger shoppers (Gen Z) were the most open to the idea of subscribing, more than Millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers; the older the respondent, the more likely it was they would not subscribe to a feature

- Higher-income households were less likely to opt for subscription-based features than lower-income households

- When split for type of feature people would most likely consider subscribing to, in-vehicle entertainment was the most popular, while hardware-related features like heated seats were the type of feature people were least willing to subscribe to

---

### Full Story:

Automakers across the industry are eyeing billions of dollars in revenue in the near future from subscription-based features in cars. But their plans still face a significant speed bump that’s worth paying attention to: consumers hate the idea. 

That’s according to the latest survey by Autolist.com, which found that 69 percent of car shoppers said they would not subscribe to features in a vehicle in general; just seven percent of consumers supported the idea. 

![2023 Subscription Survey Pie chart Main Q3](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/45BdosjXGK3WHR4z4tj8QM/9f9ec17436768a4cbbfc3306b1f73886/Pie_chart_Main_Q3.jpg)

Higher-earning households in the survey — those more likely to buy more profitable high-end trims or luxury models — were also more likely to reject the subscription approach. 

But Autolist’s survey also found that time may be on the side of companies like BMW, Volvo, Stellantis, and General Motors, which have already begun pushing into this payment approach. 

Gen Z shoppers in the survey were more likely to be open to the idea of subscribing to features than Millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers; Autolist found that the younger the respondent, the more likely it was that they would consider subscribing. 

Consumers also indicated they’d be more willing to subscribe to certain types of features (in-vehicle entertainment) than others (heated seats). 

“Brands that are hoping for a big revenue stream from a subscription model should note that it’s going to take time — and convincing — to get consumers on board,” said Corey Lydstone, president and CEO of Autolist, a CarGurus company. “Rushing into this approach too fast risks alienating a wide swath of car shoppers, particularly those that bring in the biggest profits.”

***

__Overall Sentiment:__

Autolist’s survey polled 1,200 current car shoppers in February 2023 to gauge their attitudes towards subscribing to features and services versus paying for them upfront when buying the vehicle for the first time. 

Overall, resistance to the idea was widespread. 

69 percent of respondents said they would not subscribe to features or services instead of paying for them once; seven percent said they were in favor of the subscription model, 12 percent said they weren’t for it or against it, and 12 percent were unsure. 

---

__Ok Boomer:__

Autolist’s survey then split those responses by age group — Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers — to see if consumers’ age affected their answers. 

It turns out it did. 

As mentioned, Gen Z shoppers were more open to the idea of subscribing than all other age groups:

![Subscription intent by Age group](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/3Q069en4gUvWecedgHztVM/3107e904916eb853538f5c4ae8a7966b/Subscription_intent_by_Age_group.jpg)

“This makes sense to us,” said Lydstone. “Younger shoppers have grown up in an age where you subscribe to everything: music, gaming, entertainment, clothes and shoes, meals, etc. So the concept of paying a monthly fee for a feature on a car is a lot less foreign to them than it is to a Baby Boomer.”

Younger shoppers’ openness here could also affect the vehicles on which automakers choose to offer subscription-based features. Cheaper, entry-level models make more sense than more expensive and premium models and trims.  

“New-car affordability is always a concern for younger buyers so offering features on a monthly or yearly basis could be a chance for carmakers to keep down the upfront price of a car,” Lydstone said. “As the owner’s income goes up while they own the car, they could then start paying for more features.”

Focusing on lower-cost vehicles for subscription-based amenities may be important for another reason: high-income shoppers are more likely to reject them. 

---

__Household Income Matters:__

Autolist’s survey found that the higher the household income of the respondent, the more likely they were to say they were against subscribing to features versus paying for them up front. 

For example, 57 percent of people in households making under $30,000 a year said they wouldn’t be willing to subscribe to features, while 10 percent said they would.

Of households making more than $150,000 a year, in contrast, 83 percent said they wouldn’t be willing to subscribe, while 6 percent said they would. 

![Subscription intent by HHI](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1hvaVqQ4GfHPL3LvJTqLQt/c5e892484289b61c898277d9e0931798/Subscription_intent_by_HHI.jpg)

***

__The Type of Feature & Service Matters:__

But not all subscription-based features and amenities are created equal, Autolist’s survey discovered. When features were broken out into five distinct categories, there was some discrepancy in what people were willing to subscribe to and what they’d prefer to pay for upfront. 

Those categories were:
- *Software and data features:* Real-time traffic updates, over-the-air updates, vehicle maintenance reports, etc

- *In-vehicle entertainment*: Streaming audio and video services, WiFi connectivity, gaming, etc

- *Hardware-linked features*: Heated seats, heated steering wheel, adaptive headlights, etc

- *Additional performance capabilities*: Extra horsepower, quicker 0-60 acceleration abilities, adaptive suspension capabilities, etc

- *Semi-autonomous or fully autonomous hands-free driving capabilities*

Respondents were asked for each category whether they would prefer to pay once upfront, subscribe monthly, subscribe yearly, or unsure. 

![Feature payment preferences](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/4KB5c8MZ2jwvskQXRKypXm/ef2823a0fa0133f25496dc98ac8c5cfd/Feature_payment_preferences.jpg)

*Hardware* features ranked as the category with the most respondents (70 percent) preferring to pay upfront rather than subscribing. 

*Performance* capabilities were a close second, with 69 percent of shoppers saying they’d prefer to pay for these upfront. 

*In-vehicle entertainment*, meanwhile, ranked as the category with the fewest respondents (44 percent) preferring to pay upfront. This category also had the highest percentage of people saying they’d subscribe monthly, at 23 percent. 

“Here again we see the impact of subscriptions in other industries,” said Lydstone. “Consumers are familiar with the idea of paying a monthly fee for streaming audio and video, so bringing that into the car on a monthly basis makes sense to them.” 

“At the same time, people are loathe to pay more for something they expect to be included, so hardwired features like heated seats and anything tied to a vehicle’s performance are still viewed as inextricably linked to the actual car,” he added. 


As an increasing number of automakers -- including BMW, Volvo, Cadillac, and Ford -- start to roll out subscription-based features, consumers have made it clear they are against the idea, according to the latest survey from Autolist.com.

Survey: Consumers Hit the Brakes on Subscription-Based Features

### Survey Highlights:

- Ford’s F-150 Lightning lands at the top spot as the most popular all-electric truck among consumers in Autolist’s survey for the second year in a row.

- The Lightning was also the most popular choice among EV owners and newcomers alike, truck owners, and most age groups in the survey.

- Gen Z shoppers preferred Tesla’s Cybertruck; Millennials preferred the Toyota Tacoma EV; older buyers leaned towards the F-150.

- Price remains the key hurdle for consumers when it comes to electric trucks; access to charging and the vehicle’s range are also top concerns.

---

### Video: 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1473GdKRwmo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

--- 

### Full Story:
Ford’s F-150 Lightning is showing it has staying power, with the full-size pickup again ranking as the top choice for electric trucks in Autolist.com’s annual EV Truck Survey. But new competition in the market means Ford’s lead is narrowing.

As in the 2021 iteration of the survey, consumers in 2022 favored the F-150 Lightning over all other electric trucks currently on the market or expected soon, with 24% of respondents naming it their top pick. Toyota’s Tacoma EV ranked second; Tesla’s Cybertruck, the Chevy Silverado EV, and Ram’s 1500 Revolution rounded out the top five. GMC’s Hummer and Sierra EV trucks and Rivian’s R1T were also included. 

![Most popular overal](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/7KBn0RT5gsw89y01kRKXbV/f2cab09142a9bc897b3e0a0149f2156d/Most_popular_overal.jpg)

“The F-150 Lightning continues to outperform rivals in our survey thanks to its jack-of-all-trades approach,” said Corey Lydstone, president and CEO of Autolist.com, a CarGurus company. “Truck owners prefer it, EV owners and newcomers alike prefer it, and most age groups prefer it. Those are crucial groups of potential buyers, and of course, being first-to-market doesn’t hurt it either.”

Autolist surveyed 1,175 current car shoppers in October and November to gauge their attitudes toward the electric pickup truck market. The 2022 EV Truck Survey follows similar studies Autolist conducted in [2021](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/2021-survey-electric-trucks) and [2019](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/survey-electric-pickups-GM-ford-tesla-rivian). 

Models included in this latest survey were the Lightning, Toyota’s Tacoma EV that’s widely expected during the model’s next generation of production, Tesla’s much-delayed Cybertruck, Chevy’s Silverado EV that’s due on the road in late 2023, its fellow GM platform-mates the GMC Hummer SUT and the GMC 

Sierra EV, Ram’s 1500 Revolution that’s now slated to debut at the 2023 CES in January, and Rivian’s much-lauded R1T. Currently, only the Ford, Rivian, and Hummer models are in customers’ hands. 

This latest Autolist survey found that the F-150 Lightning garnered 24% of consumer votes for their top pick. The Toyota Tacoma EV grabbed 20% of the vote, Tesla’s Cybertruck ranked third with 15%, Chevy Silverado EV was fourth with 13%, Ram’s 1500 Revolution ranked fifth with 9%, GMC’s Hummer EV SUT was sixth with 7%, and the GMC Sierra tied for seventh with the Rivian R1T as both grabbed 6% of the vote.

But the F-150 Lightning wasn’t just the most popular overall; it also ranked well among core groups of shoppers that will be essential to the success of any EV, truck or not. Here’s a look at those groups. 

---

### Truck Owners:

![Truck owners vs non](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/CnZUx47ocRYz3VNUapOdB/eca58709255ae6c408e18537e1fe75dd/Truck_owners_vs_non.jpg)

Key among the questions Autolist’s survey asked was whether respondents had previously owned a truck. 

“Trucks have always been a cornerstone of the US auto market, and truck buyers are among the most brand-loyal in the industry,” said Lydstone. “So we wanted to make sure our survey got to the heart of how electric trucks will fit into that picture.”

60% of shoppers said they either currently own a truck or have previously owned one. 

Of note, Toyota’s Tacoma EV was the top-ranked model among non-truck owners, with the Lightning and Cybertruck rounding out the top three slots. Non-truck owners were also nearly twice as likely to pick the Cybertruck than truck owners, indicating significant crossover appeal for the Tesla and reinforcing the expectation that it wouldn’t cannibalize sales of more traditional trucks, EV or not. 

Meanwhile, the Lightning was the clear winner among truck owners, with the Tacoma and the Silverado also in the top three. 

Non-truck owners were also more likely than truck owners to consider an electric truck as their next vehicle. 

Autolist also asked respondents who were planning to buy a truck within the next five years if it was likely they would choose an all-electric model. 42% of people who had never owned a truck said yes; just 33% of people who had owned a truck said yes. 

---

### EV Owners:

![EV owners vs non](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1Mgy6Ry6uMDo8bwlRloaay/e9c34484cf80dd3a6ba3f2203f0f0869/EV_owners_vs_non.jpg)

Autolist’s survey also dove into what impact current or previous EV ownership might have on which EV truck they prefer. 

As the data point out, both Ford and Tesla rank well with people who have previously owned EVs. This makes sense considering both brands are known entities in the EV space; Ford has had considerable success with its Mustang Mach E, and Tesla is, well, Tesla. 

Toyota ranking third also lines up with that brand’s image as a green leader in the auto industry, despite only selling a pure EV for several months of 2022 — a phenomenon that Autolist has observed in numerous earlier surveys about brands and their eco-friendly reputation. 

But what was a bit of a surprise was how poorly EV owners reacted to Chevy’s Silverado EV. These folks were less than half as likely to choose Chevy’s forthcoming truck than people who had not owned an EV. 

“We were expecting that Chevy’s considerable experience with the Bolt and the Volt models would translate into excitement by EV owners for the Silverado,” Lydstone said. “But in fact, it had the opposite effect; it was again Ford’s Lightning that attracted their attention the most often.”

Autolist also found — not surprisingly — that people who have already owned an EV were significantly more likely to consider an electric truck as their next vehicle than people who have never owned an EV. 

Two-thirds of respondents (66%) who have owned an EV already said they would consider an electric truck as their next vehicle; just 34% of people who have never owned an EV will consider an electric truck as their next vehicle. 

---

### Age Groups:

![Age groups](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1pFqAI2peYJ6CAiSoQyIcb/3cf798061a6f2d026d352141f8ff1b49/Age_groups.jpg)

Autolist’s survey also explored which electric trucks were most popular among various age groups: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. The results were clear: the older you are, the less interest you have in Cybertruck.

Tesla’s forthcoming model was a hit with Gen Z shoppers, with 32% choosing it as their top pick. It then ranked lower and lower with each successive age group, with just 6% of Baby Boomers putting it atop their list. 

Ford’s Lightning and Toyota’s Tacoma EV, meanwhile, were consistent winners across all age groups, ranking in the top two spots for all age groups save for Gen Z. 

“This is another key reason for the overall popularity in our survey for both the Ford and Toyota models,” Lydstone said. “It will be essential to the success of these electric trucks that they appeal to shoppers of all age groups, and these two trucks nail it on that front.”

---

### General EV Concerns:

![Reasons not to buy](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/NGQ6I7cVpNqjqlbjjFHLV/d97a6d91c4c0ec70687eca8da57fcc9f/Reasons_not_to_buy.jpg)

Finally, Autolist asked shoppers about their key concerns over choosing an electric truck. The results echoed what consumers [have long been telling us](https://www.autolist.com/news-and-analysis/2021-survey-electric-trucks): Price, access to charging, and range remain the key hurdles to EV adoption. In total, 51% of shoppers cited price as their key concern about an electric truck. 

Much of this has to do with the prices automakers mention when launching or introducing their electric trucks. First-edition models of the Chevy, Hummer SUT, and GMC Sierra electric models sticker for over $100,000. 

Ford has bumped up the base price of its Lightning models twice in recent months to $52,000 and is a long time away from actually building and delivering models at that price point — current versions of the truck are available for between $72,000 and over $100,000. Meanwhile, Rivian’s R1T starts at $73,000.

“Worries about electric truck prices make total sense to us,” Lydstone said. “When you hear about or read about these new models, it’s usually in the context of their six-figure price tags; this does little to convince people that electric trucks are a viable option for the near future.”


Autolist's annual Electric Trucks Survey is out for 2022 and Ford's F-150 Lightning is the big winner among consumers. But Toyota's upcoming Tacoma EV has gained ground, and Tesla's Cybertruck is holding strong over rivals from Rivian, GMC, Hummer, and Ram. 

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