US EV attitudes in 2026: charging confidence rises as adoption stays slow

© A. Krivonosov

53% of US drivers say they are more open to electric vehicles today than they were a year ago. But that does not mean half of America is ready to buy an EV: the HERE Technologies and SBD Automotive study measured a change in attitude, not a concrete purchase plan. Separately, 57% of respondents said gasoline prices had influenced their interest in electric vehicles.

The shift is also visible in attitudes toward the charging network. A year ago, 28% of respondents considered the number of public chargers sufficient; now the figure is 47%. Over that period, the US added another 31,600 public charging points, while total charging capacity rose 47% from 14.1 to 20.7 GW. Some 60% of respondents now believe the country can build the infrastructure needed for further EV adoption.

The actual market is moving more slowly than sentiment: EVs account for 5.37% of the US market since the start of 2026, still below the 2025 result. That does not conflict with a recent KBB study, in which electric vehicles appeared on the consideration list of only 10% of shoppers — HERE asked a different question and measured a change in attitude rather than readiness to complete a purchase.

There is also a more durable signal: 77% of current EV owners said they are highly likely to choose an electric vehicle again. At the same time, KBB found shopper interest in conventional hybrids to be noticeably higher than interest in EVs. The latest index therefore points less to an imminent mass switch to electric cars than to a gradual reduction in two long-standing barriers — concern about charging and doubts about day-to-day usability.