EV appeal is more diverse than you think

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Sep 15, 2022 View in browser   By Jordan Wolman Presented by THE BIG PICTURE Consumer Reports/EV Noire/Green Latinos/Union of Concerned Scientists Electric vehicles have long had an image problem. Some of the sharpest criticism of the push towards EVs has come from Black Democrats criticizing incentive programs as benefiting "coastal Tesla drivers" — code for rich white people. That may be changing, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports, conducted with input from the Union of Concerned Scientists, GreenLatinos and EVNoire. It found more openness to EVs among Black, Latino and Asian American respondents than among white people. Fifty-two percent of Asian American, 43 percent of Latinos, 38 percent of Blacks and 33 percent of whites said they would "definitely" or "seriously consider" purchasing or leasing an EV as their next vehicle. "There is strong interest in electric transportation across all groups, at least as great as white groups," said Don Anair, the deputy director of the clean transportation program at UCS. "That was a really reaffirming finding … and an encouraging one." That signals a potential shift to current U.S. buying patterns, which show wealthy and white people have been more likely to embrace EVs . And the survey was conducted in February — before Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act with its $100 billion in incentives for EVs and charging infrastructure. "Given the similarly strong desire among Black and Latino consumers in the future purchase or lease of an EV, the observed lag in EV ownership does not reflect a lack of innate interest," the survey says.   A message from Bank of America: Make everything recyclable: TerraCycle has recycled more than 7.7 billion items since its founding in 2001. Its philosophy? "Everything can be recycled in the end." This Bank of America partner is working to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.   Policymakers who want to narrow the adoption gap can look to the survey's findings on barriers. Asian American and white respondents were more likely to object to EVs' purchase price, while Latino and Black respondents were more concerned about maintenance and repair costs. That breakdown could be representative of larger trends in vehicle ownership, according to the report, since Blacks and Latinos are more likely to own used vehicles.   A message from Bank of America:   Respondents across all categories said they were most worried about charging. Within that, white respondents expressed the most concern about charging logistics and range anxiety, while Asian American, Latino and Black respondents were more worried about personal safety at charging stations. Addressing those concerns will require a "diversity of solutions." White Americans are more likely to own a home and live in a single-family home, while Black and Latino Americans who own cars were more likely to report using public or on-street parking, according to the survey, pointing to the need for a variety of charging options. Consumer Reports and the other groups recommend that policymakers consider a whole basket of incentives, including refundable tax credits, loan guarantees, scrap-and-replace programs, separate incentive programs for used vehicles, subsidies for public charging, and EV loaner or test drive programs to build community awareness. That last part could be key: For all groups, experience with EVs strongly correlated to interest in purchasing or leasing one.   A message from Bank of America: TerraCycle has recycled more than 7.7 billion items since its founding in 2001. Its philosophy? "Everything can be recycled in the end." This Bank of America partner is working to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12. This goal is grounded in the recognition that creating more responsible consumption and production processes will be key to achieving a more sustainable global economy and healthier environment. "Our mission is not just to manage waste, but to eliminate the idea of waste." CEO of TerraCycle Tom Szaky explains how, with Bank of America's support, the company is reducing waste by making more kinds of products recyclable, and devising ways to integrate recycled materials into new products. Read more.   YOU TELL US GAME ON — Welcome to the Long Game, where we tell you about the latest on efforts to shape our future. We deliver data-driven storytelling, compelling interviews with industry and political leaders, and news Tuesday through Friday to keep you in the loop on sustainability. Team Sustainability is  editor Greg Mott, deputy editor Debra Kahn and reporter Jordan Wolman. Reach us all at gmott@politico.com, dkahn@politico.com, and jwolman@politico.com. Want more? Don't we all. Sign up for the Long Game. Four days a week and still free!   DON'T MISS - MILKEN INSTITUTE ASIA SUMMIT : Go inside the 9th annual Milken Institute Asia Summit, taking place from September 28-30, with a special edition of POLITICO's Global Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive coverage and insights from this important gathering. Stay up to speed with daily updates from the summit, which brings together more than 1,200 of the world's most influential leaders from business, government, finance, technology, and academia. Don't miss out, subscribe today.     WHAT WE'RE CLICKING — Read our Europe colleagues' special report on the demise of the combustible engine and challenges facing the EV market. — Rail strike averted, tentatively, after rail carriers and labor unions' marathon negotiations end in compromise, POLITICO reports. — The owner of Patagonia gave away the company — and his fortune, NYT writes.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.       Follow us on Twitter Debra Kahn @debra_kahn Greg Mott @gwmott Jordan Wolman @jordanwolman   Follow us

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