Only one percent of EV owners would go back to gas, new survey says
But another report says 29% of EV owners get frustrated and give up. So, which is it? And which one are you?
A stunning survey made headlines this week, boasting that only one percent of current EV owners would give up the electrons and return to gasoline, if forced to replace their car tomorrow. Four percent would switch to a plug-in hybrid or standard hybrid, but 92 percent would absolutely buy another EV. Over 23,000 people across 18 countries, including the U.S., responded to the survey, commissioned by the Global EV Alliance. Owners cited the reduced operating costs of EVs, purchase incentives, and environmental reasons as winning attributes of EV ownership.
Funny thing though: just a few months back, consulting giant McKinsey published a report touting that 29 percent of global EV owners that it surveyed planned to switch back to an internal combustion car with their next purchase, with that number rising to a staggering 46 percent of American EV owners. Subjects of the McKinsey study cited charging issues as their main impediment to EV ownership, and also that the total cost of ownership was too high.
So, what’s up with that difference? Let’s look at the sources.
The Global EV Alliance conducted its survey using its own membership, who’ve hand-raised as EV enthusiasts, and it was a voluntary survey, so it’s no surprise that the respondents were likely evangelists of all things electrified.
And while the McKinsey study came from the firm’s ongoing Mobility Consumer Pulse survey, which we can assume to be a bit more scientific, it’s important to also consider that McKinsey’s client list includes some of the biggest fossil fuel producers on Earth, and they’ve recently come under scrutiny for “quietly fuel[ing] the climate crisis,” per a major investigation in The Guardian.
For reasons I’m making clear with each post, I want as many of you as possible to be in that enthusiastic group of EV-loving converts. But it’s really about making sure the EV life is right for you before forking over your hard-earned money at the dealership. And I can tell you the absolute best source for determining whether a transition to electrified driving will work for your lifestyle. No, it’s not this Hybridiot.
It’s not McKinsey, or a gaggle of plugged-in partisans. It’s you. And if you’re seriously considering making the switch sometime before the Trump administration goes all DOGE-y style on the current EV tax incentives, I have a cost-effective solution that will afford you some experience behind the wheel of an EV without the hassle of spending a single moment at a car dealer until you’re absolutely ready.
Use Turo. It’s Airbnb for cars. (Note: I am not being paid for this post whatsoever.)
I discovered Turo through an ad on Doug DeMuro’s YouTube channel a few years ago, and I’ve used it several times to, as Doug put it, rent more interesting cars than you can get at the rental counter. But I’ve realized it’s a bit more specific than that. Normally, when you rent a car (or a hotel room), you rarely get to pick the specific one; it’s assigned when you check in. On Turo, you’re renting someone’s actual car, the exact one you see in the photos. And while this can be fun for renting a convertible to go to Palm Springs, it can also be useful for scheduling an extended test drive.
Browsing Turo in most major cities and filtering by “electric” will give you access to pretty much every EV on sale today, from a basic Nissan Leaf to an electric Mercedes G-Wagen and everything in between — which means a lot of Teslas. Enter your dates, find something that seems appealing, and make a booking — like my family just did.
We used Turo to reserve a Hyundai Ioniq 5 for Thanksgiving, essentially giving us a five-day period to learn everything about the car. We installed our toddler’s car seat, used it to run errands, drove on the highway, used the cruise control, observed the range, and charged it as needed.
Most of us have been there: When you drive a car for 20 minutes off the dealer lot, usually accompanied by a salesperson, how much can you actually learn, especially if you wind up with one of those chatty ones? Sure, you can (and should) take as much time as you can muster at the dealership once you have a vehicle for test driving, but wouldn’t you rather bring it home and not be rushed?
We began to decide whether the location of the USB plugs was annoying or not, whether the lane keeping assist felt intuitive or felt like fighting a weak-armed robot for control of the vehicle, whether the trunk worked for carrying a stroller and a grocery run. We marveled at the intensity of the tush toasters and my son continually commented on how quiet it was inside. When you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars, it’s worth spending a few extra dollars on a rental so you don’t end up buying something that marginally annoys you in small ways over the course of a decade.
I’m not going to give you a test drive checklist; here’s a good one to follow. But when you naturally live in a car for a few days via Turo, you’ll get a far better feel for its ability to do what you need it to do, in your specific lifestyle. Just check with the owner in advance about any major questions, just like you would for an Airbnb. For example, is it okay if I install my car seat? Are pets allowed in your car? Basically, don’t be a dick.
Before picking up the car, I’d recommend watching at least two thorough reviews of that vehicle on YouTube from a channel like Auto Buyers Guide/EV Buyers Guide, Redline Reviews, or Driven. Take some notes and get familiar with the car’s capabilities and features. Write down things you definitely want to try out.
If you’ve never driven or owned an EV, you’re going to want to spend extra time getting comfortable with the differences in driving experience and the nature of charging vs. gassing up.
EV acceleration is pretty instantaneous as opposed to your gas car, which takes some time to get up to speed from a stop.
EVs have some form of regenerative braking, meaning when you take your foot off the accelerator, the car starts to slow down – this helps put juice back into the battery pack via friction. In most EVs, you can adjust the intensity of this braking, sometimes all the way to “one pedal driving,” meaning if you take your foot off the go pedal, the car will slow to a complete stop.
These two facets take a little getting used to, so take it easy, if it’s your first time. There are no “gears” in an EV, so the driving will likely feel very relaxed and smooth.
There’s a lot of tech in EVs. Familiarize yourself with it – while parked. A lot of the driving characteristics will likely be adjustable.
Live your life. How does the range and efficiency hold up doing your commute to work? Picking up kids? Running errands? Hauling things and people? Throw your life at the car and make sure it holds up.
Get familiar with how to charge. If you don’t already have a home charger, you probably know someone who does. Ask if they can show you the ropes. Then, find your local compatible fast chargers and give those a try. (I suggest watching this video first for a few charging tips for the newbies.)
Take lots of notes (when you’re not driving, of course).
Going through this process will help you ascertain whether EV life is for you or not, long before someone from McKinsey comes calling with a survey to complete.