Consumer interest in electric vehicles has hit a global tipping point, with more than half of car buyers saying they want their next car to be an EV, new research from Ernst & Young shows.

  • Yes, but: Americans still aren’t as enthusiastic as consumers in Europe and Asia.

Why it matters: The world is in the midst of a global transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles, driven by environmental concerns and, in some countries, avoidance of stiff penalties on vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Driving the news: 52% of respondents to EY’s annual Mobility Consumer Index who are looking to buy a car want an EV, according to the survey of 13,000 people in 18 countries.

  • That’s a leap of 22 percentage points in two years, and the first time that EV interest exceeded 50%, the company said.
  • Buyers in Italy (73%), China (69%) and South Korea (63%) were the most interested.
  • Consumers in Australia (38%) and the U.S. (29%) showed less interest.

Between the lines: Government policies are probably driving consumer choices in many markets.

  • The European Union, for example, plans to ban sales of conventional […]
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