Americans are still pretty skeptical about electric vehicles. Despite more affordable EV options on the market than ever before, most say they’re planning to buy a traditional gas-powered car for their next vehicle purchase.
An overwhelming 61% of U.S. consumers want their next car to include a combustion engine, according to Deloitte’s 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study. The 14th annual survey polled more than 28,500 consumers across 27 countries between October and November to better understand the biggest issues impacting the auto industry.
“U.S. consumers are balancing affordability with the realities of charging access and everyday use as they consider future vehicle choices. Persistent concerns around range, charging time and cost continue to temper BEV/PHEV (battery electric vehicles/plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) adoption, signaling a cautious move toward electrification,” Deloitte said in a press release.
Meanwhile, only 7% of U.S. respondents said they preferred their next car to be an EV. That figure is up just two percentage points from last year. The most commonly cited reason for wanting an EV was lower fuel costs.
Conversely, when respondents were asked about their concerns with buying an all battery-powered EV, the top issue was driving range, cited by 47%. Charging time and premium prices followed closely behind at 44% and 40%, respectively.
About 44% of U.S. respondents said they want their next car to cost under $35,000. Most EVs are still priced well above that, though there are a few exceptions, like the Nissan Leaf, which starts at $29,990. Tesla’s cheapest option, a standard Model 3, starts closer to $36,000.
The Deloitte report landed just weeks after EV makers in the U.S. reported a drop in sales last year.
Tesla said it delivered 418,227 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2025, down 16% from the previous quarter. Overall deliveries for 2025 fell 9% to 1,636,129 vehicles. Part of that drop can be attributed to the expiration of the federal EV tax credit, while some of it may reflect Elon Musk’s declining popularity among the demographics most likely to buy electric cars.
Sales were also down for Tesla’s American competitors. Rivian sold 42,247 vehicles in 2025, an 18% drop from the year before when it delivered over 51,000 vehicles.
On the other side of the world, EV sales in China surged. Last year, BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller, delivering 2.26 million electric vehicles in 2025, up 28% from 2024.
It’s no surprise, then, that Chinese consumers showed the strongest interest in going electric. About 20% of respondents in China said they were interested in buying an EV next, compared to 41% who said they planned to buy a combustion-engine vehicle.
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