(credit: David Megginson)

The problem is summed up in one notable statistic from the report: in the US, 30 percent of the vehicle buyers McKinsey surveyed reported that they considered purchasing an EV, but only 3 percent actually did so. Numbers were similar for Germany (45 percent considered buying an EV, but only 4 percent did so), while in Norway approximately 22 percent of potential buyers ultimately bought an EV, “due in part to government subsidies,” the report states. The survey was conducted online and involved 3,500 respondents from the US, Germany, and Norway. McKinsey also surveyed approximately 3,500 potential car buyers in China.

The challenge to transform at least part of the global fleet of cars and trucks to electric vehicles is an important one for regulators and automakers to consider as the world becomes increasingly aware of the dangers of climate change. In 2014, transportation made up 26 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions, while electricity made up 30 percent. But as more and more utilities incorporate renewable energy into their portfolio, transportation starts sticking out like a sore thumb. In California, for example, only 20 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions come from utilities, but 40 percent comes from transportation. So around the world, governments are pressuring automakers to raise their fleet fuel efficiency numbers to combat the urgency of climate change. Automakers can offset sales of less-efficient SUVs with sales of EVs, but it’s a task that’s been made harder in the US as cheap gas has driven demand for SUVs rather than cars with better fuel economy.