BMW Survey Finds EV Buyers Want Far More Range Than They Actually Need

October 10 (IT Home) — According to the foreign outlet motor1 today (the 10th), a survey of 1,005 US adults conducted by BMW of North America between 11 and 13 September found a huge gap between the range consumers need for everyday driving and the range they demand when buying a car.

73% of respondents said driving no more than 121 kilometres a day meets their daily needs. Whether commuting or running errands, an electric car’s battery usually needs only a small amount of charge to cover such trips. But when the same respondents were asked about their range requirements when buying a car, the answers were completely different.

The survey showed that 42% of respondents required an electric vehicle to have a range of at least 483 kilometres, while 18% would only consider buying an EV if the range were at least 644 kilometres.

Range anxiety pushing consumers towards larger batteries is nothing new, but the gap revealed by this survey is still striking. Americans mainly use their cars for short trips — taking children to school, buying groceries and commuting — and BMW’s findings bear this out.

Even though they never drive that far in normal life, 72% of respondents still regard range as a decisive factor in buying an EV. By comparison, price is a bigger worry than range: 51% see the cost of buying a car as the biggest obstacle to going electric.

Alexander Schleicher, who heads electric mobility for BMW of North America, believes the results show the EV market maturing. “As range and charging capability keep improving, consumers are starting to shop for EVs the way they shop for other cars, placing more weight on performance, equipment and value for money rather than clinging to outdated ideas about range.”

Price does not only put consumers off. Although only 27% of respondents said lower ownership and running costs were a reason to buy an EV, 55% would consider a certified used or ordinary used EV, provided it saved them enough money.

BMW also looked at another factor that may influence purchase intent more than range: charging speed. 53% of respondents said fast-charging capability would make them more willing to consider an EV.

Views differ markedly by age group: 70% of Gen Z respondents said fast charging would increase their willingness to buy an EV, as did 65% of millennials. Among baby boomers (IT Home notes: generally those born between 1946 and 1964), only 30% agreed.

Tolerance for charging times has also improved. This year, 55% of respondents said a fast-charge time of no more than 30 minutes was acceptable, compared with 48% in a 2024 survey by MINI USA.

Perceptions of EV owners are changing too. The share of respondents who still see EV buyers as early adopters of new technology fell from 62% in BMW’s 2025 survey to 56%. At the same time, 68% said they would consider buying an electric car.