Proponents of electric vehicles (EVs) have little to say about the one-third of American households that own only a single car or truck. That isn’t surprising, since there are serious doubts as to whether EVs, given their limitations, can be the all-purpose vehicle such households would need. The rarity of EVs in single-vehicle households confirms these doubts.
According to one analysis, 37 percent of vehicle-owning households have only one vehicle, while another puts the portion at 34 percent. For such households, it would be hard to get by with just an EV. Their relatively limited range and lengthy charging times would make longer trips inconvenient. EVs wouldn’t work well for rural drivers who routinely travel large distances in areas with scarce charging infrastructure. Nor would they suffice for those who need to haul or tow heavy loads.
Of course, it does not help that single vehicle households are generally less well off than multiple vehicle ones, and thus are less likely to be able to afford the higher sticker price of an EV in the first place.
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