CDA releases poll on VA voters views on EVs
WASHINGTON, DC — As the Virginia General Assembly considers legislation which may require Virginia to adopt California’s electric vehicle (EV) policy, a full ban on the sale of any new gasoline and diesel vehicles starting in 2035, the Centrist Democrats of America (CDA) released a poll on Virginians’ attitudes about EVs and the Commonwealth’s transportation future.
The key findings:
Only 9% of Virginians “strongly support” adopting California’s ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles.
56% of respondents “strongly agree” that Virginia should have its own regulations and not be forced to follow the rules of California.
Only 9% of respondents are “very likely” to purchase an EV.
48% of respondents are “unlikely” to purchase an EV in the next two to three years.
“Virginians (61%) think that EVs are too expensive and designed for the wealthy,” said Hank Naughton, President of Centrist Democrats of America. “If Democrats want to be the Party for the working-class Americans, we can’t force low-income and middle-class families buy expensive EVs.”
“Democratic lawmakers in Richmond should reject the Republicans’ partisan efforts to dismantle programs to promote EVs, but CDA’s polling indicates that Democrats should not be pushing extreme policies like banning the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks,” Naughton added.
Virginian think spending priorities should be: “ending childhood hunger,” “fixing our roads and bridges,” “police training and hiring,” “building K-12 schools,” “wind and solar energy,” and “public transportation.” Coming in dead last among respondents was “more funding for increasing the number of electric vehicles.”
Other topline findings from the survey:
92% of respondents are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about the high cost of gasoline.
79% of respondents are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about climate change. • 42% of respondents said that personally, high energy costs are “making it harder to make ends meet.”
6% of respondents strongly support adding “an additional charge on people’s electrical bill to help fund the building of charging stations for electric vehicles.”
For those unlikely to buy an EV in the next two years or more, 77% hoped their current vehicle will “last more than a couple of years.”
70% said, “There aren’t enough charging stations for it to make sense right now, ” 66% responded, “I don’t have the ability to charge an electric vehicle where I live,” and over half of respondents stated, “Currently there is not an electric vehicle on the market that would really work for my needs.”
When asked what approach is “best for the Virginia government to take in order to encourage more residents to buy electric vehicles,” the most popular answer (33%) was “Let the new vehicle market reflect consumer demand.”
About the poll:
Methodology: 1,000 interviews among voters in Virginia were conducted from January 21-27, 2023, using an online survey. The results were weighted to ensure proportional responses. The Bayesian confidence interval for 1,000 interviews is approximately 3.5, which is roughly equivalent to a margin of error of ±3.1 at the 95% confidence level.
Link to poll:
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About Centrist Democrats of America:
Centrist Democrats of America (CDA) is a group dedicated to the principle that Democrats are most effective when they lead from the political center. CDA promotes respectful dialogue, sensible laws, fiscal responsibility, consumer protections and regulations that appeal to the broadest portion of the American people. CDA advocates for common sense public policies that advance the interests of the nation and put the wellbeing of the American people ahead of politics, ideologies and party affiliation.
Source: http://centristdems.com/s/CDA-Poll-Press-Release-VA.pdf