Battery-electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. lags significantly behind other developed regions worldwide, particularly China. 

That's according to McKinsey's annual Consumer Pulse Survey, a global consulting firm that tracks attitudes toward BEVs.

Except for certain states such as California,“the jump to BEVs is not happening”in America, says Philipp Kampshoff, a McKinsey senior partner and co-founder of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility.

But, he adds, data shows that as more Americans are exposed to electrified vehicles, they're likely to warm up to them. That's vital for dealers to know as they work to move BEVs, which are climbing in price. As reported in WardsAuto, average transaction prices (ATPs) of BEVs continue rising, but McKinsey notes consumers are warming to the idea of BEVs.

“Many of them say, ‘I realize I can do most of my needs in a BEV,” he says, referring to daily driving habits, not cross-country trips.

Twelve percent of Americans say their next car will be a BEV compared with 45% of Chinese and 23% of Europeans.

Plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles performed comparatively better in the U.S., with 17% of consumers indicating they would buy one. But fewer Chinese car-purchase intenders (37%) said they would buy a PHEV compared with nearly half who said they'd opt for a BEV.

PHEVs carry both internal-combustion engines and electric battery packs. The PHEVs automatically switch over to gasoline power when the battery charge is depleted.

Kampshoff speculates that some stair-stepping consumers may initially buy a hybrid-electric vehicle or a PHEV, and then“work their way up to a BEV.”

For now, consumer concerns about BEVs remain pretty much the same as before. Survey respondents’ top worries centered on battery life, slow public charging devices, finding free parking stations, and an insufficient number of charging points.

Still, satisfaction with driving range, a chronic source of anxiety among consumers, is up from 60% in 2024 to 73% in 2025, according to the report.    

Another point on the scoreboard for BEVs: The report indicates most of their American buyers don't feel buyer's remorse. “BEV satisfaction has gone up significantly,” says Kampshoff. “We've also seen a shift from BEV buying to leasing.”

In some spots in the U.S., BEV leasing is as high as 80%, “which means consumers don't have to worry about residuals,” he says.   

The McKinsey reports research uses online panels with deep dives every two months and an extensive annual survey based on more than 100,000 data points and involving more than 26,000 polled consumers.  

Other report insights: Some automakers offer the same models with different propulsion systems.

That approach has its benefits, but it can also cause customer confusion in dealership showrooms, says Kampshoff. “There's a lot of explaining you have to do on the differences among them.”

Among those polled, quicker charging takes a backseat to longer range, says Patrick Hertzke, a McKinsey partner and leader of its mobility center.

He adds,“Consumers are willing to pay more for more range.” 

And perhaps no surprise here: Younger people show a greater interest in new electrified vehicles (60%) than do people 45 and older (21%), says Hertzke.

Although no Chinese-brand vehicles are sold in the U.S., a quarter of polled U.S. car consumers say they are “open” to them.

The main reason 75% of Americans feel otherwise is because of a distrust of Chinese cars, including the potential of connected cars' tracking abilities. “It becomes a matter of national security, even if the tariffs (which have gone from 25% to 100% on Chinese BEVs) go away,” says Kampshoff.

He sees BEV growth in the U.S. as incremental.“I wouldn't double down on them at this time,” he advises automakers.       

The McKinsey report doesn't delve into used BEVs, but their numbers on dealership lots are growing.

One reason for that: “The rentals are cycling EVs out of their inventories,” dealer Peter Chung, president of Toyota of Tri-Cities in Kennewick, WA, tells WardsAuto.“Because of that, we're seeing a lot of EVs on the used-car market.”

Why are rental companies trying to thin out their BEV fleets?

Mainly because of customers ' lack of interest, Chung says.“Companies like Hertz at first went heavy on BEVs,” he says. “Now, they're finding most consumers don't want to rent one.”