Forget Politics. EVs Have An Age ProblemInsideEVs[email protected] (Tim Levin)Sat, September 26, 2026 at 11:15 AM UTCAdd us on Google2027 Porsche Cayenne ElectricRepublicans and Democrats are surprisingly aligned on EV buying intent. It's Boomers that are the problem.For years, the most visible divide over electric vehicles has seemed to be political—just look at all those "I bought this before Elon went crazy" bumper stickers. But new polling suggests that the way a person votes may be a far worse predictor of EV interest than you'd think.According to a new survey published by the Zero Emission Transportation Association, an EV industry group, age is a far bigger fault line than political affiliation. The findings say a lot about where the car market is headed, so let's unpack.Per the study, 36% of adults aged 18-34 and 40% of adults aged 35-49 said they were "very likely" to purchase or lease a new EV. Those were among the groups most likely to go electric in a report that sliced and diced the data from 1,300 respondents across many demographic lines: location, gender, income, and so on.AdvertisementAdvertisementAmong adults ages 50-64, that number falls to 18%. And zeroing in on the 65-plus crowd, things start to look ugly. Just 4% of respondents in that category said they were very likely to buy an EV.Critical Materials subscribers got this post earlyOur weekly newsletter unpacks the biggest EV news every Friday Sign up today!The oldest group was also the sourest on EVs, with 40% of respondents saying they had a somewhat or very negative opinion of the technology. Among 18-34 year olds, that figure was just 5%. Three-quarters said they had a positive view on electric cars.Surprisingly, Democrats and Republicans were far more aligned. Twenty-six percent of left-leaning voters said they were very likely to buy an EV. For those on the right, it was only a little less, at 22%. However, Republicans did show more skepticism toward electric cars; 42% said they were "not likely" to buy an EV, compared to only about a quarter of Democrats.AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the one hand, the generational gap is exactly the opposite of what you'd want to accelerate electrification right now. The average car buyer is around 50 years old. Baby Boomers are the wealthiest generation and, apparently, not too down with electric propulsion. Young people, enthusiastic though they may be, are simply far less likely to be in a position to buy a $40,000 or $50,000 car. This may help explain all the action on the used market; younger, less wealthy buyers are getting into EVs secondhand.But you could also view the findings as a structural advantage for EV adoption, just like improving economics or the fact that the cars are just a better experience. Those 18-49 year olds have potentially several decades of car-buying ahead of them, so the pool of EV buyers is set to grow dramatically.Assuming the industry gets the rest right—more charging infrastructure, lower prices, more options—that could help speed things along.Contact the author: [email protected]More EV NewsTesla Finally Kicks Off Semi Deliveries As Diesel Prices SkyrocketInside The Texas Factory Racing To Break China's Grip On EV MagnetsEV Sales Keep Surging In Europe, Now Make Up 29% Of New Car SalesAmericans Are Buying Hybrids At A Record Pace. And It's Not Just Toyota Anymore