Rasmussen Poll Shows Taxpayers Will Have to "Pony Up" to get Americans to Buy Electric Cars

When told of the high price of electric vehicles, only 14% of Americans said they are likely to buy one in the next year according to a new Rasmussen survey.

But when asked if they’d buy one if they knew it would cost $15,000 more than traditional cars of comparable size, just 14% say they’d be likely to purchase an electric car. Eighty-one percent (81%) say it’s not likely they’d buy an electric car if it cost that much more.

Rasmussen found the percentage doubled to 30% when Americans were told taxpayers would foot $7500 of the bill. The poll didn't discuss any of the drawbacks of electric cars. The cheaper Nissan Leaf only has a range of 100 miles and that is if you don't run the heater or air conditioner.

The Leaf is all-electric, which means you never have to worry about burning gasoline or having to deal with the maintenance issues of a combustion engine, such as changing the oil or replacing the spark plugs or timing belts. The trade off is that it has a range of only 100 miles — less if you drive fast or run the heater or air conditioner, both of which draw power from the battery.

The overpriced more expensive Chevy Volt only goes 40 miles and then the gasoline engine kicks in. You still have to fill-up with the Volt.

But the Volt's electric battery will power the car for only the first 40 miles, requiring many drivers to buy and burn gasoline. On longer trips, the benefit of the electric engine will be largely negated because the car will be using the gas engine most of the time.