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Only 5% of voters say they will definitely buy an EV in next 5 years
LANSING, Mich. – Despite a push by the auto industry and rebates from federal and state and federal governments, electric vehicles have yet to win the hearts and minds of voters across the state. Whether it’s price, technology woes, or a mix of the two, results from MRG’s Michigan Poll® Spring 2024 show that only 5% of Michigan voters plan to purchase an electric vehicle (EV) in the next 5 years. Another 15% of voters said they are considering it.
“It appears that government and the auto industry are out of sync with Michigan consumers,” said Tom Shields, Senior Advisor, MRG LLC. “The state has a long road ahead to reach Governor Whitmer’s goal of 2 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.”
Only 1% of voters reported currently owning an EV with another 6% owning a hybrid vehicle and 1% saying they own both. There appears to be a direct correlation to income as 54% are from households earning over $100,000 per year. Of the 8% of Michigan voters that own either vehicle, 41% are Democrats, 33% are Republicans, and 22% are Independents. 63% of electric or hybrid vehicle owners were male. Those most likely to own an EV or hybrid vehicle lived in the Mid-Michigan area (19%). A total of 92% of Michigan voters said that they did not own an electric vehicle nor a hybrid.
Auto dealers may want to use a voter list to target future EV buyers as only 1% of Republicans say they will definitely be purchasing an EV in the next 5 years. Another 4% said they would consider it. In contrast, 24% of Democrats said they would consider buying an EV in the next 5 years, but only 5% of Democrats said they would definitely be buying one. Oakland County voters (26%) were the most likely to consider an EV purchase in the next 5 years and voters in the UP (10%), Northern Michigan (9%) and the Bay City/Flint Area (4%) were the least likely. Twenty-three percent of 18-24 year olds said they were planning to purchase an electric vehicle over the next five years - the highest result from the age demographic.
“Michigan has proven to be a tough environment for electric vehicle purchases,” said Jenell Leonard, owner of MRG, LLC. “There are a multitude of factors that influence their less-than-popular reputation, and we are seeing politics play a huge role in the perception of electric vehicles, their evolving technology, and the economy surrounding them.”
Click below to download the full press release and view results.
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