Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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It might take months or years for working-class and low-income Americans to afford them, but consumer interest in electric cars has, like the gas prices people hope to liberate themselves from, skyrocketed in recent months.
According to research by QuoteWizard.com, a Seattle-based online company that specializes in pairing customers with insurance providers, the popularity of search engine inquiries about electric vehicles jumped by 300% and search interest in hybrid vehicles increased by 257% from February to March.
The popularity of these search terms varies wildly from state to state. The concept is most popular is California, Delaware, Washington, New Hampshire, and Maine.
The popularity numbers might be skewed by California, the nation’s most populous state. The top 4 cities in which interest in electric vehicles is most popular – San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fresno – are all located in California, and Sacramento and Santa Barbara give the Golden State six cities in the top 10.
Moreover, by virtue of the methodology used, not every state’s data was included. QuoteWizard reached its conclusions by using Google Search analytics to study inquiry preferences from Feb. 11 through March 11. But not every state’s Google search activity is publicly accessible, meaning these results might or might not be replicated nationwide.
Of those states that were included, Alabama, Louisiana, and Vermont checked in with the lowest interest.
“The cost of insuring an electric or hybrid car is nearly 25% more expensive than other vehicles,” the QuoteWizard article reads. “Which is one reason why interest in alternative fuel vehicles varies significantly from state to state.”
In addition to a substantial jump in cost for insurance, would-be electric vehicle owners also must account for the fact that electric vehicles sell for more than double that of similar-sized gas-powered vehicles.
According to CNBC, as of the end of 2021, the average price of an electric vehicle was north of $56,000. By comparison, LendingTree.com lists the average cost of a new sedan at just under $24,000.