Most Americans Now Thinking About Electric Cars, Thanks To High Gas Prices

More drivers are considering an electric car as gas prices climb. A new survey from Here Technologies and SBD Automotive found that over half of drivers now say rising gas prices have them thinking about going electric, even though the federal $7,500 tax credit for buying an EV has ended. Today's electric vehicles offer hundreds of miles of range and cost roughly the same upfront as similar gas cars, and looking at total cost of ownership over time, they're often cheaper to run, though most buyers don't do that math when shopping.

Worry about finding a place to charge has also eased. In last year's version of this survey, 28% of drivers said there were enough public chargers available; this year that number rose to 47%, reflecting both a larger charging network and more people learning the actual state of things. Among people who already own an EV, about 85% say charging availability is sufficient.

None of this changes what's available to any one household today, since federal purchase incentives for EVs are gone and fuel economy and emissions rules that once pushed automakers toward electric models have also been rolled back. But if you're weighing a vehicle purchase, it's a sign that fuel costs and charging convenience are shifting in favor of electric options for more households, and worth factering into your own math on gas savings versus the price of the car itself.