High Gas Prices Spark Interest in EV’s

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – With gasoline prices at double the price of 2-years-ago, more and more Americans are considering an electric vehicle as their next automobile purchase. American Automobile Association of Ohio’s Director of Public Affairs Kimberly Schwind cited a survey that revealed some of the reasons people are for and against electric vehicles.

“What we found was, a quarter of Americans say that they would be likely to purchase an electric vehicle for their next car and millennials are leading the way. We’re seeing about 30 percent of millennials saying that they want their next car to be electric. And when we ask people why they want to purchase electric, the vast majority, 77 percent, say that it’s to save on fuel cost,” Schwind said.

Many drivers are skeptical about purchasing an electric vehicle pointing to the high purchase price, battery lifespan and cost of replacement, charging and travel time, as well as the availability of charging stations.

“Triple-A does have a resource that you can dive into this a little bit more and take a look at different vehicles,” Schwind said. “We have the Triple-A Car Guide, so aaa.com/carguide, and you can go there to look at all the different vehicles. It is going to take a little bit of homework to price out the upfront cost, how much is it going to cost to charge, how does that compare to a gas vehicle. But that is something that we can provide that information and you can do that homework and then you can make that decision.”

The AAA is a consumer advocacy group that doesn’t promote any type of vehicle over another but provides information to the public that showcases what’s available so motorists can decide what’s best for them.