By Gary S. Vasilash

The J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration study is sort of a good-news/bad-news report for the global OEMs that are spending billions on the building of plants for vehicles and batteries.

That is, the number of people surveyed who said they’re “very likely” to consider the purchase of an EV increased over the finding in last year’s version.

But the increase is only 2%.

From 24% to 26%.

Pulling back the focus, the number of people who are “overall likely” has also increased.

Here 3%.

From 59% to 62%.

Not exactly a ground swell of consideration.

And while those numbers are on the rise, let’s face it: consideration and likelihood aren’t downpayments.

According to Stewart Stropp, executive director of EV intelligence at J.D. Power, what a consumer owns now has a big influence on what they’ll consider next.

The breakdown of the “very likely” respondents are:

• EV: 74%
• PHEV: 63%
• HEV: 36%
• ICE: 22%

One way of looking at it is that those who have experience with vehicles they plug in (EV and PHEV) are comfortable with them and EV owners are likely to consider another and PHEV owners are inclined, as well.

However, the owners of hybrids and straight gasoline engines are seemingly reticent to make a switch.

Presumably, it is particularly important to convert those owners of ICE vehicles: 78% is a big number, especially as most people have cars they fill up at gas stations.

And speaking of filling up: Charging is a big hurdle. Some 49% of shoppers say that lack of charging station availability—as in both sites and equipment at those sites that actually charge—is what makes them reject the idea of an EV.