As we’ve said and as we’ll keep reminding you–2023 was the 10th year for Metro Atlanta Speaks–the largest survey done on Atlanta resident perceptions, attitudes, and opinions. Some of the survey’s policy topics (like housing, for instance) have been been around for most of the those ten years, and a few questions have been asked every time. But there are new questions to explore this year in a relatively new subject area on the policy scene nationally and locally: electric vehicles.

Major drivers for electric vehicle (EV) technology have included the need to reduce vehicle emissions (and improve air quality), as well as to moderate dependency on fossil fuels (and reduce gas prices). The EV industry has exploded in Georgia, and is a focus of state economic development efforts. Federal funding has been and is available, and grants to expand regional EV infrastructure have been secured. This blog even took a look at EV charger options in a previous post. But momentum on EVs has slowed lately however. Tesla sales have dropped, and a few would-be manufacturers have gone or are near bankruptcy. Closer to home, Rivian has delayed plans for a plant in Morgan and Walton Counties. Generally, adaptation of EVs may turn out to be slower than had been expected and/or projected. So… what our region’s residents think, perceive, and feel about electric vehicles is of great importance.

Data on all of the EV-related questions in the 2023 MAS are provided in this slide deck, as well as in the slideshare below. But some highlights follow:

  • Just over nine percent of respondents indicated that they currently own an electric vehicle, or EV (slightly higher than national averages).
  • Residents in the City of Atlanta (15%) and Fulton County (13%) are relatively more likely to own an electric vehicle. Residents of Forsyth (6%), Clayton (5%), and Rockdale (4%) are relatively less likely to have an EV at present.
  • Younger cohorts (18-34) are considerably more likely than average to own an EV now (16.8%), as are those with higher incomes (19.4% of those earning over $250,000).
  • Nearly a third of respondents said they plan to buy an EV in the next five years.
  • The age break is less apparent with plans to buy an EV than it is in the case of current ownership, as respondents over 65 were almost as likely to plan to get an EV as younger groups. The prime workforce ages of 25-54 were least open to buying in the next five years.
  • Renters are more apt than homeowners (29%) to plan on getting an EV in the next 5 years
  • Top reasons for having or a desire to buy in the future include better for the environment (homeowners) and cheaper to operate (renters).
  • Top reasons for having or a desire to buy in the future include better for the environment (homeowners) and cheaper to operate (renters).
  • Correspondingly, top reasons for not (yet) having or having no desire to buy include being too expensive (particularly so for renters) and inconvenience of charging (particularly for homeowners).

There’s MUCH more on MAS 2023. Late last year, we published a broad overview of the results from the entire survey. The first “deeper dive” we took was a detailed look into our respondents’ assessments of the biggest problem facing the region. and then, as we mentioned above, housing. Next, we plan looks at climate change and opinions of our senior population.

But you don’t have to “wait on us” to take a closer look at any of the 2023 survey results. Check out our interactive data dashboard, and explore the “survey strata” on your own! And questions for MAS 2024 are “hitting the field” in August!