J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study was released today, and it shows that more Americans said they are “very likely” to buy an electric car for their next vehicle now more than ever.
The study showed that 24 percent of respondents said they were “very likely” to buy an EV for their next purchase or lease, a 4 percent increase from a year ago. Several factors contributed to the increased interest in purchasing an EV, but the biggest contributor was the expansion of the electric pickup truck market, which was labeled “important” and “largely untapped.”
“The addition of new EV models has moved the needle on consumer consideration,” J.D. Power’s Senior Director of Automotive Retail, Stewart Stropp, said. “In fact, several new models from perennial mass-market brands are at the top of that consideration list. Even so, more remains to be done in terms of transitioning from early to mass adoption. Though the study findings show a shift in favor of EVs, about 76% of new-vehicle shoppers say they are not ‘very likely’ to consider buying one. With new EV model introductions coming at a rapid pace, automakers must continue their efforts to persuade more shoppers to give these vehicles a try.”
Living situations also attributed to whether people were considering an electric vehicle for their next car. People who owned their homes were much more likely to say they were “very likely” to consider an EV next, with 27 percent of respondents giving that response. Only 17 percent of those who rented their living quarters said they would consider an EV.
Charging infrastructure also played a substantial part in whether people were considering an EV. Thirty-four percent of people said they were unlikely to consider an EV gave this response because they said they lacked access to charging capabilities at home or at their place of work.
RELATED: See where your state ranks in EV preparedness
Interestingly, the study found that the respondents who drove more frequently than others were more likely to consider an EV. This is likely due to gas prices, which have skyrocketed in 2022. The study says:
“The study, now in its second year, finds that the more vehicle owners drive, the more they are likely to consider an EV. While daily commuters who are encountering higher fuel prices are logical candidates to switch to EVs, those who take frequent vacations and road trips might be assumed to be less likely to adopt EVs. But, like heavy commuters, heavy road-trippers have a higher EV purchase consideration tendency than those who use their vehicles less often for this purpose. It could be an indication that frequent drivers are increasingly seeing the advantages of EVs compared with their gasoline-powered counterparts.”
Hands-on experience also was a heavy factor, as only 11 percent of people who had never had any personal experience with an EV said they were “very likely” to purchase one as their next vehicle.
Additionally, 48 percent of current EV owners said they were “very likely” to purchase another EV for their next car.
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News
Tesla teases new Model Y seating option potentially coming soon
Tesla appears to be ready to launch the new Model Y seating option in the coming weeks.
Tesla teased a new Model Y seating option earlier this week in a promotional email, potentially hinting that it could introduce an arrangement offered on the legacy version of the vehicle.
Back in 2021, Tesla started offering a seven-seat configuration of the Model Y, and there was a lot of speculation about its orientation and the space it would provide. The two additional seats were truly a tight fit for anyone, even kids, as the space for a third row was extremely limited in the Model Y.
Tesla Model Y third-row seats first impressions shared by EV owner
Eventually, Tesla started building the seven-seater with forward-facing seats and very tight legroom dimensions. It was beneficial for some, but many still considered the arrangement to be too confined for their needs.
The company confirmed earlier this year in an interview with Jay Leno that the car would get other configurations, including Rear-Wheel-Drive, which has already launched, a Performance trim, which has been spotted with bumper covers several times this year, and a seven-seat version:
🚨CONFIRMED: Tesla will launch the new Model Y 7-Seater and new Model Y Performance later this year.
pic.twitter.com/AA5ZPa7K4q https://t.co/zkphg11LsS
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 10, 2025
The new seven-seater could be coming soon as well, according to a recent email Tesla sent to customers and fans. In it, Tesla writes:
“Ready for anything with long range seating for up to seven and enough room for everyone’s gear.”
Tesla did have a mysterious Model Y roaming around the Fremont Factory’s test track recently with covered bumpers and what appeared to be strange dimensions.
We thought it might be the compact, affordable model that is set to launch in the first half of the year, but now it seems that the car could have either been the Model Y seven-seater or the Model Y Performance configuration, as they are both expected soon.
We are interested to see if Tesla can squeak out a few more inches of legroom in the new seven-seater, but we’re not holding our breath. Nevertheless, the new Model Y came with quite a few improvements, including suspension changes, acoustic-lined glass for a better cabin experience, and a front and rear bumper redesign, among other things.
There is no doubt it will be a better car than the legacy version.
Elon Musk
Tesla Full Self-Driving’s European launch frustrations revealed by Elon Musk
Tesla plans to launch Full Self-Driving in Europe later this year, but regulatory bodies are proving to make it a bigger challenge than it needs to be.
Tesla Full Self-Driving is set to launch in Europe in the future, but the region’s governing bodies are not giving the suite any chance to move forward, according to CEO Elon Musk, who blames the regulatory processes for robbing citizens of a safer mode of travel.
The automaker revealed late last year that it planned to bring Full Self-Driving to Europe sometime in 2025. However, Musk said that the launch of the suite is being continuously prolonged by both individual and European Union officials, dragging their feet with approvals.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk said the company is still dealing with and waiting for approvals from both the Dutch government and the EU’s governing officials, giving an indication that some progress has been made, but ultimately, there are still some bodies that are taking their time:
Waiting for Dutch authorities and then the EU to approve.
Very frustrating and hurts the safety of people in Europe, as driving with advanced Autopilot on results in four times fewer injuries!
Please ask your governing authorities to accelerate making Tesla safer in Europe. https://t.co/QIYCXhhaQp
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2025
He continued by stating that the delays are “very frustrating” and they “hurt the safety of people in Europe” because of Autopilot’s statistical prowess, which shows it is much safer than human drivers.
Tesla is readying for the launch of a completely driverless Robotaxi platform in the U.S., which is set to occur in the coming days. While the initial rollout of the platform will be reserved for a select few, public rides are slated for June 22, meaning anyone will be able to come to Austin and hail a Tesla Robotaxi through the company’s smartphone app.
The first Robotaxi without a driver was spotted in Austin yesterday and shared on X:
First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX
Musk dropped several hints that the Robotaxi launch, which has been rumored for June 12, is imminent. For now, the operation will take place in Austin and will eventually expand, likely to California next, as noted in past reports. The City’s official website confirmed that Tesla gained a license as an Autonomous Vehicle operator in the City of Austin earlier this week.
Tesla applied for a similar license in California earlier this year.
Energy
Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.
The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.
15,000 Megapack Batteries
Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.
More Megafactories
The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.
Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.
Tesla Energy’s Potential
During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry.
“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.
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