Electric cars and connected homes: How technology adoption extends beyond the driveway

Key findings:

• 2% of car-owning Americans say the primary vehicle in their household is an electric vehicle.
• Interest in trying the latest technology is higher among electric vehicle owners (59% vs. 37%).
• Smart thermostat ownership is more common among electric vehicle owners (44% vs. 17%).

Electric vehicles (EVs) account for a small share of Americans’ primary household cars. Only 2% of car-owning Americans say their household’s primary automobile has an electric engine, according to YouGov Profiles data – the electric vehicle owners. By comparison, 88% say it has a gas engine, while 7% have a hybrid and 3% a diesel engine.

But electric vehicles may be just one part of a wider appetite for technology among the Americans who own them. YouGov Profiles data shows that they are not only more enthusiastic about trying new technology in general but are more engaged with smart technology inside the home.

There is also a demographic dimension to this. More than four in ten (43%) Americans with an EV as their primary vehicle are Millennials, compared with 26% of those whose primary vehicle is gas, hybrid or diesel.

Most adults in both groups are middle income, but the income mix differs: 28% of electric vehicle owners are in the higher-income bracket, compared with 11% of gas, hybrid or diesel vehicle owners. Conversely, 14% electric vehicle owners are lower income, versus 33% of gas, hybrid or diesel vehicle owners.

Electric vehicle owners display an early-adopter mindset

Beyond these demographic differences, electric vehicle owners stand out for their attitudes towards technology.

Three-quarters (75%) say technology changes their life for the better, compared with 63% of those in households with a gas, hybrid or diesel vehicle. But the bigger differences emerge when it comes to seeking out new technology rather than simply viewing it positively.

Nearly six in ten (59%) say they are usually interested in trying the latest technology products, services and apps, compared with 37% of gas, hybrid or diesel owners. And 44% say they are often among the first of their friends to try new technology products and services – twice the share among Americans their non-electric counterparts (22%).

Are electric vehicle owners up to speed with smart home appliances?

A majority (57%) of electric vehicle owners say they are fully aware of smart home appliances and know a lot about them, compared with 30% of gas, hybrid or diesel vehicle owners.

Furthermore, fewer of them are likely to say that they’re aware of smart home appliances but don’t know much about them – 42% vs. 61%.

Are electric vehicle owners more likely to own smart home appliances?

Smart thermostats are present in 44% of households represented by electric vehicle owners, compared with 17% of gas, hybrid or diesel owners. The former are also nearly twice as likely to report having smart security cameras, sensors or alarms (44% vs. 24%), and twice as likely to have a smart voice-controlled speaker (42% vs. 21%).

Around three in ten Americans electric vehicle owners report having a smart light system (31% vs. 12%) or a smart scale or other health-tracking device (29% vs. 8%). They are also more likely to have connected versions of household appliances such as washing machines and dryers (23% vs. 10%), vacuum cleaners (18% vs. 8%) and fridge/freezers (16% vs. 7%).

Perhaps more telling than any individual device is the proportion with no smart appliances at all. A third (33%) of Americans in households with a gas, hybrid or diesel vehicle as their primary vehicle say they do not own or have a smart appliance in their home, compared with just 13% of those whose primary vehicle is electric.

For brands, electric vehicle owners represent a particularly receptive audience for connected technology beyond the automotive category.

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between August 2025 and August 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

Electric vehicle owners are American adults who say the primary vehicle in their household has an electric engine.

Gas, hybrid or diesel owners are American adults who say the primary vehicle in their household has a gas, hybrid or diesel engine.

Image credit: Getty Images