Many people are open to the idea of buying an electric car, according to a just-released survey by the Consumer Federation of America.
Thirty-six percent of people who don't know much about electric cars said they'd be interested in buying one someday; 57% who do know a fair bit about electric cars said the same.
CFA's Director of Research Mark Cooper says the survey then asked about willingness to purchase a long-range, reasonably priced electric vehicle, like the Chevy Bolt, which is expected to get 238 miles on a single charge, or the Tesla Model 3, which is expected to have a similar range.
"You ask people to consider that kind of vehicle and the willingness to consider it jumps way up," says Cooper.
Sixty-two percent of people without much knowledge of electric cars said they'd be interested in a long-range electric car, and 70% of people with significant knowledge said the same.
Then there's what is happening in the marketplace, especially when it comes to the Tesla Model 3, which, despite Tesla's past history of production delays, has more than 400,000 pre-orders for the car.
"The number of pre-orders for the new Tesla is higher than for any other car ever introduced," notes Jack Gillis, CFA's Director of Public Affairs.
General Motors says the Chevy Bolt Before will cost $37,495 for the LT trim, with the higher-end Premier trim starting at $41,780.
Many people will be eligible for at least part of a maximum $7,500 federal tax credit to defray some of the cost of buying an electric car.
Someone who gets the full $7,500 credit would pay $29,995 for the LT Trim Chevy Bolt.
