A majority of United States voters support requiring all new cars sold in their state to be electric by 2030, according to a new poll commissioned by nonprofit Coltura.
Nationally, respondents supported phasing out sales of new gasoline cars by a 55%-35% margin. That margin varied by state, narrowing to 50%-38% in Colorado and growing to 66%-24% in New York.
Support for mandating EV sales was particularly strong among voters aged 18-34 (71%), Black voters (69%) and Hispanic voters (67%), reflecting the "generational urgency" of climate action and the importance of mass EV adoption to environmental justice goals, a Coltura press release said.
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Charging stations at Volkswagen Arizona Proving Grounds
In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order calling for an end to sales of new internal-combustion vehicles in 2035, and the poll showed Californians are eager to make the switch.
Of Californians polled, 75% said they had a somewhat positive or very positive opinion of EVs, and 66% of those planning to purchase a vehicle within the next five years said they were likely to go electric. That's despite only 41% agreeing that EVs are less expensive to maintain than gasoline cars.
California needs a huge infrastructure buildout to meet its 2035 goal. The state recently approved a $1.4 billion infrastructure plan, but the California Energy Commission said earlier this year that the state will need 1.2 million charging stations by 2030 to meet its goal.
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Charging stations at Volkswagen Arizona Proving Grounds
Nationally, the auto industry has set an aspiration goal of 50% zero-emission vehicles by 2030, but that includes plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Similarly, the federal infrastructure bill is just a start toward a full-scale EV transition.
Changing attitudes toward electric cars could help drive more aggressive policy goals.
A couple of Pew polls earlier this year found that Americans see EVs as better for the environment, despite a partisan divide. And nearly a year ago 7 of 10 Americans saw an EV in their future.
Which generations already do support the shift to EVs, and which ones need some convincing yet? Leave your impressions in comments below.