At What Gas Price Do Americans Go Electric?

Half of American gas vehicle owners are already driving fewer miles to cope with rising fuel costs, and 60% say energy prices have changed how they think about their next vehicle entirely. Payless Power surveyed 1,003 Americans to find out how close drivers really are to making the switch to electric, and what it would take to get them there.

Key Takeaways

• Over 4 in 5 gas vehicle owners (83%) set their gas price tipping point at $5 or higher.
• Toyota tops Tesla as the No. 1 EV brand Americans would pick first (23% vs. 14%).
• Nearly half of gas vehicle owners (45%) say a 3-month spike in gas prices would push them to switch to an EV sooner.
• 1 in 2 gas vehicle owners are already driving fewer miles due to gas prices.
• 60% of Americans say energy costs have already changed how they think about their next vehicle.
• Over half of gas vehicle owners (51%) say charging at home would make EV ownership more affordable.

When Rising Fuel Costs Push Drivers to the Breaking Point

• Over 4 in 5 gas vehicle owners (83%) set their gas price tipping point at $5 or higher.
• 1 in 2 gas vehicle owners are already driving fewer miles because of gas prices.
• Nearly half of gas vehicle owners (45%) say a 3-month spike in gas prices would push them to switch to an EV sooner.
• 46% of gas vehicle owners looked up EV information in the past 3 months due to rising gas prices.
• A small portion of gas vehicle owners (9%) say gas prices have already pushed them to research or seriously consider an EV in the past 3 months.
• Younger drivers are more likely to act on sustained price spikes: 60% of Gen Z drivers say a sustained gas price spike would make them more likely to switch to an EV sooner, compared to 48% of millennials, 38% of Gen X, and 24% of baby boomers.

Energy Costs and Home Charging Are Influencing Vehicle Decisions

• Over half of Americans (53%) say electricity costs are more predictable than gasoline.
• Electricity beats gasoline as the more financially manageable long-term fuel (33% vs. 29%).
• 3 in 5 Americans (60%) say energy costs have already changed how they think about their next vehicle.
• 51% of gas vehicle owners say charging at home would make EV ownership more affordable.
• Toyota tops Tesla as the No. 1 EV brand Americans would pick first (23% vs. 14%).
• Brand loyalty runs deepest with Toyota: 53% of current Toyota drivers would choose Toyota for their EV, 12 percentage points higher than the next-highest brand (Honda).

Methodology

Payless Power surveyed 1,003 Americans to understand at what gas price Americans would seriously consider switching to an electric vehicle. The average age of respondents was 43. The gender breakdown was 55% women, 44% men, and 1% nonbinary or not listed.

Millennials made up the largest share of respondents (50%), followed by Gen X (25%), Gen Z (15%), and baby boomers (11%). Respondents included gas-only vehicle owners (89%), households with both gas and electric vehicles (10%), and EV-only owners (1%). The survey was conducted online in April 2026.

About Payless Power

Whether you’re driving a gas car today or planning for an EV tomorrow, managing energy costs at home is a smart place to start. Payless Power offers flexible prepaid electricity plans that give Texas residents more visibility and control over what they spend on power every month. Explore Payless Power’s plans to see how much you could save.

Fair Use Statement

The data, findings, and visuals contained in this study are free to share and republish for non-commercial purposes. Please provide a link back to Payless Power so readers can access the full research and methodology.

URL copied to clipboard