New ZETA Poll Finds U.S. EV Divide Is More Generational Than Political

Electric vehicles have become a political flashpoint in Washington, but new U.S. national polling finds that the biggest divide among potential EV buyers is not political. It is generational.

Seventy-five percent of American adults ages 18 to 34 and 72% of adults ages 35 to 49 say they are likely to purchase or lease a new EV within the next five years. Among adults ages 50 to 64, that figure falls to 50%. Among Americans 65 and older, it drops to 23%, creating a 52-point gap between the youngest and oldest groups.

The partisan divide is considerably smaller. Fifty-seven percent of Democrats and 45% of Republicans say they are likely to purchase or lease an EV within the next five years, a difference of 12 percentage points.

Despite the political debate surrounding EVs, 51% of Americans overall now say they are likely to purchase or lease an EV within the next five years. That is the highest level recorded since the monthly survey began tracking EV sentiment this summer.

The polling presents a different picture of EV adoption than the partisan debate often seen in Washington, with age representing a substantially larger divide in purchase intentions than political affiliation.

The findings come from RPM: Roadmap for Policy Momentum, a monthly national tracking poll conducted by the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) and Generation180. The survey examines Americans’ attitudes toward electric vehicles, including purchase intentions, perceived benefits and barriers to ownership, and views on EV-related policies.

“What this data shows us is that EVs are the cars of today and of the future,” said Corey Cantor, Research Director at ZETA. “Even if they don’t own one now, many people see themselves driving EVs within the next five years. Consumers want industry and policy choices that will make that ownership easier to attain, not harder.”

“This is how new technology often moves into the mainstream: younger consumers lead the way,” said Stuart Gardner, Executive Director of Generation180. “Nearly three in four Americans under 50 say they are likely to purchase or lease an EV within five years. That’s a powerful signal for automakers, policymakers and anyone thinking about the future of the American auto market.”

The RPM data comes from Seven Letter Insight’s monthly national survey, with additional results scheduled for release each month. Download the full report here.

The latest survey was conducted online from August 14 through 23, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,300 American voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.72%. Smaller demographic groups have larger margins of error based on the number of respondents represented.

ZETA is a federal coalition focused on policies supporting the electric vehicle supply chain, EV adoption, jobs and U.S. EV manufacturing. Generation180 is a national nonprofit focused on clean-energy adoption, including electrifying homes, buildings and transportation.

The results indicate that EV purchase interest varies substantially by age, while the measured difference between Democrats and Republicans is considerably smaller. The findings provide a snapshot of American EV purchase intentions in August 2026 as the market and public debate continue to evolve.