The willingness of Europeans to buy their first electric vehicle is swiftly shrinking and they’re followed by Americans, according to a survey of driver sentiments conducted by Shell.
Shell’s annual survey into attitudes toward electric vehicles indicates a widening gap in perception between owners of EVs and internal combustion engine drivers. Existing EV drivers reported greater confidence and satisfaction in their driving experience, while interest in switching to EVs among ICE drivers appears to have stalled or declined. The survey collected responses from more than 15,000 drivers across Europe, the United States and China.
Of those surveyed in Europe, 41% said they would buy an EV, down from 48% in the previous survey. In the U.S., interest dipped slightly to 31% in 2025 from 34% in 2024.
Cost continues to be the primary barrier to adoption, especially in Europe, where 43% of non-EV drivers cite affordability concerns preventing them from taking the plunge, Shell found. According to Transport & Environment, a transportation lobby group, the average price of an EV has risen by 11% since 2020.
“There are several factors at play here, with a lot having to do with government policies,” Nick Augusteijn, a journalist covering the automotive industry, told Lube Report. “In many countries, tax breaks and other incentives have favored BEV ownership over the years. And not to everyone’s liking. Fast forward to 2025 and many of those incentives have been trimmed or slashed altogether.”
However, public support for policies phasing out ICE vehicles remains mixed. In the US, 46% of ICE drivers support these measures, compared with 44% in Europe. Among those in favor, only 56% would maintain that support if EVs remain more expensive than petrol or diesel cars. Half would continue backing the transition if public charging infrastructure fails to improve.
“There doesn’t seem to be a long-term vision in many countries, and consumers hedge accordingly. Many do so by putting off purchasing an EV,” said Augusteijn. “That’s not necessarily because they don’t like BEVs. They just feel that they don’t have to get on that bandwagon anytime soon. Because they see governments – and as a result manufacturers – take a step back from previously stated targets.”
Augusteijn added that other potential EV buyers who are still wedded to their gas guzzlers may also be in denial about the future of personal mobility.
“They seems to hold the belief that the EU might abandon its goal of banning the sale of new ICE vehicles. Or that there will be some miracle synthetic fuel or a miraculous uptake of hydrogen just around the corner. Neither of which seem plausible or desirable.”