What Electric Vehicle Owners Learned (and Loved) About Shifting Away from Gas-Powered Cars

Most drivers were highly satisfied with their EV and hybrid cars: 95 percent of hybrid and EV drivers were happy with their cars. Gas-powered car owners were slightly less enthusiastic about their cars, and about 89 percent of these drivers were satisfied with their vehicles overall.

The survey results revealed other distinct patterns in satisfaction levels among owners of electric, hybrid, and gas-powered cars across various features.

Percent of drivers satisfied with elements of car, by fuel type

**excludes N/As for charging and range

Electric car owners expressed the highest satisfaction with the driving experience, likely due to electric vehicles’ instant torque, smooth acceleration, and quiet operation. Though slightly lower, hybrid owners also reported a positive experience, possibly influenced by the dual power sources combining efficiency and performance. Gas-powered car owners, while generally content, may experience a comparatively conventional driving feel with slower acceleration.

Electric car owners also had high marks for their cars’ advanced safety features. Hybrid owners also valued safety features, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. While equipped with safety features, gas-powered cars may lag in terms of the latest innovations found in electric and hybrid models. This is reflected in the lower percentage of drivers satisfied with their cars’ safety features.

Interestingly, most drivers were satisfied with the cost of owning an EV or hybrid car. Though many shared they wished they’d known more about how much owning an EV would cost, most drivers are pleased with their out-of-pocket costs. In contrast, gas-powered car drivers were much less likely to express satisfaction with the cost of car ownership.

Note: Respondents could select up to three benefits

Hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) owners see environmental advantages as one of the top three benefits. Hybrid owners were likelier to appreciate energy efficiency and reduced reliance on fossil fuels, while EV owners focused more on lower operating costs and tax incentives. These responses suggest that the environmental benefits advertised for hybrids and EVs become apparent when people own and use them.

However, tax incentives and credits remain confusing for many hybrid and EV owners. The ADFC provides a reference for state laws and incentives, while the IRS lays out the federal Clean Vehicle Tax Credits available to hybrid and EV owners. Though tax credits can help with the cost of ownership, only 20 percent of EV and 13 percent of hybrid respondents ranked tax incentives among the most significant benefits of ownership.

Our research also uncovered some of the biggest challenges of hybrid and EV ownership. EVs and hybrids suffered when considering charging convenience, range, and resale value. Some additional concerns that arose included high maintenance costs for specific brands, steep learning curves, and a fear that current EVs may depreciate rapidly due to the break-neck pace at which the segment continues to jet forward.

Note: Respondents could select up to three drawbacks

For electric owners in particular, long charging times was a pain point. About 59 percent of drivers in our study had cars that must be plugged in to charge, which can take several hours. While most people charge their cars at home, it’s possible that long charging times interfere with their schedules. Smaller numbers of people said they typically charged at retailers, hotels, or even friends’ houses. Long charging times could be highly inconvenient for those without their own at-home chargers.

Note: Respondents could select multiple locations

Despite these misgivings, promoters far outweighed those in opposition to recommending the particular hybrid or EV they owned to friends and family. Sixty-one percent of EV owners would recommend their vehicles, while 53 percent of hybrid owners would say the same. By comparison, only 31 percent of gas-powered car drivers would recommend their current vehicle. This shows EV and hybrid drivers are more enthusiastic about their cars than gas vehicle owners.

Percentage of car owners who would recommend their vehicle to family or friends

Since electric cars are still relatively new to the market, it can be hard for customers to know everything about them before purchasing. To help shed light on the unknown, we asked EV and hybrid drivers to share what they wished they knew before they switched from gas cars. Then, we took their free responses and conducted a detailed text analysis to determine their most common concerns. The insights below, interwoven with electric vehicle statistics and resources, can help shed light on current challenges owners experience:

1. Owners wished they knew more about charging times and infrastructure

Among our research participants, three primary concerns regarding EV and hybrid charging frequently emerged. EV and hybrid owners wish they’d known more about how long charging took, the existing charger infrastructure, and the actual operating costs compared to gas-powered cars.

As the table shows, times for hybrid and EV charging drastically vary from refueling at the gas station. In a real-world setting, hours-long downtimes can severely impact travel plans. It’s one thing for travelers to map out refueling stops, but it’s quite another to research, locate, and incorporate charging stations.

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation

Admittedly, Tesla’s rampant popularity claims much of the credit for establishing a network of 150,000 charging ports available nationwide. Many Tesla owners in our study felt more confident in charging station availability based on Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Approximately two in three of our research participants owned hybrid cars and about a third owned EVs. These drivers represented a wide range of domestic and imported automobile makers.

The most popular hybrid vehicle make in our study was Toyota, followed distantly by Honda, Ford, and Hyundai. Tesla was by far the most popular electric car in our study, followed by Chevrolet and Nissan.

Forty-seven percent of hybrid and EV owners shared their plans to maintain ownership of their vehicles for more than a decade. This commitment may come as a shock, especially with brand-new Teslas showing up in junk yards. However, as federal law mandates, the prevalence of generous battery warranties may urge consumers to account for long-term ownership when considering these vehicle types.

Our research indicates that brand reputation and model-specific attributes play a significant role in hybrid and EV owners recommending a particular vehicle. For example, survey respondents largely trusted brands such as Toyota, Honda, and Tesla, even going so far as to associate perceived maintenance levels, value, and reliability with that particular automotive manufacturer. In addition, a trend emerged suggesting a lack of knowledge surrounding specific make and model pairings, but that’s a phenomenon hardly isolated to hybrid and EV ownership.

With the rigorous car emissions standards set out by a recent EPA EV proposal, the demand for hybrid and electric vehicles remains high. Similarly, EV and hybrid owners’ enthusiasm for their vehicles is soaring, especially compared to the attitudes of people driving gas-powered cars.

Studies like the one we performed continue to demonstrate resources well-spent by automotive manufacturers in embracing an electrified future and gaining consumer approval. Nevertheless, the long-term sustainability of personal transportation remains a shared burden of electric and gas-powered vehicles alike, at least for now.

In November 2023, researchers at AutoInsurance.com conducted a web-based poll of 1,017 drivers of electric or hybrid cars. 95% of drivers owned or financed their cars and 5% leased their cars. 32% of respondents had electric vehicles and 68% had hybrid vehicles.

In January 2024, researchers conducted a second poll of 502 gas-powered car drivers so they could compare satisfaction levels between gas and electric/hybrid cars.

Across both surveys, 50% of drivers were women and 50% were men. Their ages ranged from 18 to 82 with a median of 39. 73% were white, 10% Black, 9% Asian, 6% multiracial, and 1% were of another ethnicity or chose not to specify.

To determine the percentage of respondents who’d recommend their vehicle to friends or family, researchers used a Net Promoter Score. They asked the following question: “On a scale of 0 – 10, how likely are you to recommend this vehicle to your friends and family, with 0 0 being not at all likely and 10 being extremely likely?” Those who responded with a 9 or 10 were counted as those who’d recommend their cars.