Most Americans say 75 miles of range would be more than enough for their daily drive, but when it comes to choosing an EV, a fair number want a much bigger cushion.
A new BMW Group survey found that 73% of US adults say 25 to 75 miles is enough to cover their daily routine. Yet 42% of Americans want at least 300 miles of range before they’d consider buying an EV – and 18% want 400 miles or more.
That’s because people don’t buy cars just for running errands. There’s the road trip, the unexpected detour, and the question of when and where they’ll charge. Having enough range for the daily commute to work isn’t necessarily enough to win someone over at the dealership.
Faster charging seems to appeal: Adding around 150 miles in 10 minutes would make 53% more likely to consider an EV. Younger adults are especially interested: that figure jumps to 70% among gen Z and 65% among millennials.
Overall, 68% say they’d consider going electric, with the biggest reason cited as cheaper ownership and operating costs. Other reasons include better performance, advanced technology, and lower emissions.
However, the car’s price tag is still the biggest sticking point. Purchase price was a barrier for 51%, followed by battery longevity or replacement costs at 31%. And 55% would consider a used or certified pre-owned EV if it saved them enough money.
An EV that could keep the lights on during an outage also has appeal: 57% say home backup power would make them more likely to consider one.
Top comment by OrangeStrawberry
This. Absolutely. Let’s face it when the EPA shows us 300 mile range and where it really matters is highway driving it is never that it is always lower.m and you can buy a 400+ mile range gas car for cheaper. Then take the 10-80 % window drops it down lower. Then add in cold weather and another hit. I think these 400 mile range new crossover EVs will get a lot more interest. This way you don’t think about it. At the end of the day most people want their cars to do a bit of everything, so yes driving to grandmas house might only be 6 times a year where the rest means at least 300 miles is overkill, you still want that peace of mind, I can jump in my car and not worry.
I see my use case, I wanted to be able to do 250 miles round trip mostly 70+ highway no charging and it is hard with a 280+ EPA range EV.
Big Village conducted the online survey of 1,005 US adults September 11–13, 2026, and weighted the results to represent the US adult population.
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