Republicans are now even less likely to buy an electric car because they still don’t see climate change as a problem – Jalopnik

Republicans were never big on electric vehicles, and as the country has become increasingly divided between good and evil, the number of those who would even consider buying or leasing an electric car has shrunk significantly. A new survey shows that only 52% of Republicans are even open to Republicans idea of buying or leasing an electric car – a decrease of 5% compared to 2024. At the same time, 84% of Democrats say the same, which is an increase of 3%.

Identity politics is certainly a major reason why many Republicans don’t like EVs. I’m sure they consider them woke or whatever stupid word they want to steal from other people, but the big divide comes from the simple fact that most Republicans don’t agree with the whole climate change thing, according to Automotive News. More than 90% of Democrats in the survey, conducted by EVs for All America, said they agreed that climate change is a serious problem that requires action. On the other hand, only 32% of Republicans felt the same way. When you add to that the fact that many car manufacturers decided to market their electric cars as an environmentally conscious option, Republicans found that pointless because – in their view – there is no need to be environmentally conscious. It turns what should simply be a car with an alternative drivetrain into a political statement.

Nearly half of Republicans surveyed had unfavorable opinions of EV brands when surveyed in November. That’s compared to 14% of Democrats and 22% of Independents who felt the same way.

Right now, Republicans represent about 40% of the new and used vehicle market, so unless they come on board in much larger numbers, widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the US will be a big ask. Mike Murphy, founder and CEO of EVs for All America, said if Republicans continue to think EVs are some kind of “liberal plot,” the auto industry will never actually meet electrification goals.

The survey—which surveyed 600 registered voters in households making $50,000 or more annually, representing more than 80% of the U.S. auto market—revealed a lot of strange things in conversations with Republicans, Democrats and Independents. There was plenty they disagreed with, but there were also some things on which all parties were in reasonable agreement, Auto News reports. It should be noted that the EVs for All America report includes research from an October 2024 survey of 800 registered Republicans and an October 2025 survey of 400 apartment and condo residents in California.

EVs are by far the most controversial vehicle topic, the report said. With German cars, however, everyone is on board in the same way. And there is a slight divide when it comes to Asian car manufacturers.

Here are some other findings from the study, according to Automotive News:

• In November 2025, 76 percent of Democrats surveyed said they agreed with the statement “EVs are the future and one day I will probably drive one,” a decline of 6 percentage points from a year earlier. Only 43 percent of Republicans said the same, an increase of 2 percentage points over the same period.
• Republicans’ perception of electric vehicles has improved; When asked what their friends or family members would think if they bought an electric car, 28 percent of respondents in November said they would think it was a smart move, an increase of 9 percentage points year-on-year. Half of all Democrats surveyed said their friends and family members would think it was a smart move, down 18 percentage points over the same period.
• Only 28 percent of all respondents in November 2025 said President Donald Trump is a “friend of the American auto industry,” while 36 percent said he is an enemy.
• Democrats and Republicans differ on their views on Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In response to the statement “Elon Musk is a good ambassador for electric car sales,” 86 percent of Democrats surveyed in November said they disagreed, compared to 33 percent of Republicans.
• Positive opinions about Tesla fell by 16 percentage points to 42 percent between 2023 and 2025. Among those seriously interested in buying an electric car in the coming year, 46 percent of respondents expressed an unfavorable opinion of Tesla in November 2025.

The study also shows how bad Trump’s decision to eliminate the $7,500 EV tax credit was for the industry. Nearly half of all respondents in November 2025 said the incentives being eliminated would make them less likely to buy or lease an electric car.

The country is quite divided at the moment, to say the least, and it seems like electric vehicles are here to stay. Unless Republicans join them, it’s hard to see the industry ever really catching on in the way most automakers would like.