Exclusive: 40% of Americans say they've never heard of Biden's EV tax credits
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Polling shared first with Axios shows huge swaths of Americans don't know about federal subsidies up to $7,500 for buying electric vehicles.
Driving the news: Just 22% know a "great deal" or "good amount" about the credit, which was expanded — with strings attached — under the 2022 climate law.
- That's per survey data from BlueLabs Analytics, a data sciences firm that works with Fortune 500 companies, advocacy groups and Democrats.
- Republican and Democratic respondents in the late-August poll show similar awareness, with about 40% of both camps knowing "nothing at all" about the subsidy.
Why it matters: Consumer knowledge gaps could undercut the substantive and political impact of the 2022 climate law, which provides tax breaks for home efficiency retrofits, EVs, green appliances, and much more.
State of play: 10% of respondents will "definitely" choose an electric model for their next purchase or lease, while another 28% "might."
- 56% of Democrats say they will or might choose an EV, compared with 19% of Republicans — another sign of the red-blue EV divide.
- Black respondents are slightly less aware of the credit.
The intrigue: Women are slightly less likely to plan EV purchases and substantially less aware of the credit than men.
- Meagan Knowlton, head of BlueLabs' sustainability practice, said prior research shows women prioritize product sustainability more than men.
- This suggests that "people are not necessarily looking at EVs as primarily a sustainability or climate-driven purchase."
The bottom line: "We see it as an area of opportunity for raising awareness and education" about the overall results, Knowlton said.
Go deeper: Which electric vehicles (EVs) qualify for a tax credit?
