In some ways, it is surprising that the EV market is tilted toward men. Women are more likely than men to say they are concerned about climate change, a big selling point for some EV drivers. And the main benefits of EVs — cheaper upkeep, home charging, fast acceleration and so on — cut across gender lines.
“EVs are a great choice for many people and a great choice for women,” said Liv Leigh, a Mustang Mach-E owner who runs an EV-focused YouTube channel with her husband under the name the Electric Duo. “The same reason why they’re a great choice for many people is why they’re a great choice for women.”
But car industry analysts say other factors pushed the industry toward men. EVs cost more than gas-powered cars, and men have higher average incomes to spend on car payments. Men also tend to be more willing to take a risk on an unfamiliar technology, experts say.
“If you look at the aggregate of women buyers in the United States, they tend to gravitate more towards very pragmatic purchases,” said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at the car listing and review company Edmunds. “Electric vehicles are a new technology to a lot of people. They still feel a bit unproven … so in a lot of ways, they’re not necessarily a pragmatic buy.”
Then there was the tech bro culture that formed around EVs as Tesla sales exploded in the 2010s.
“In the beginning it was sort of that profile of, ‘Wow, Elon Musk is like our God here,’” said Caldwell. “That mindset definitely relates more to the male, tech-savvy type of consumer.”
Some of the marketing around EVs, which has featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as Zeus driving an EV, Will Ferrell putting his fist through a globe in mock-anger because Norway has more EVs than the United States and Jason Jones reassuring men about their anxieties over “premature electrification,” deepened the feeling that automakers were trying to make EVs manly.
“That becomes the identity of the electric vehicle, and then it’s easy [for women] to say, ‘That’s not for me. I don’t want to drive that type of vehicle,’” said Stuart Gardner, executive director of Generation 180, a nonprofit that promotes renewable energy and EV driving.
As EVs have become more mainstream and affordable, the gender gap has shrunk. A decade ago, men outnumbered women among EV buyers 3 to 1. Now, the ratio is 2 to 1.
But some obstacles remain. For instance, public charging — one of the main concerns for anyone considering an EV — may create extra challenges for women.
“Some women I talk to are more concerned about safety when it comes to public charging,” said Leigh. “Some of the public charging stations suck when it comes to feeling safe. Let’s say they’re at the edge of a Walmart parking lot where it’s a bit darker, so if you’re charging at night, that’s a concern.”
For those who can’t charge at home, tracking down a working charger could be an extra layer of inconvenience.
“If you’re a mom and you have 50,000 different things going on and places to be, it’s just one more thing to think about,” said Nica Mendoza, an Audi e-tron owner with college-age kids. “In certain situations, I’ve thought, ‘Oh my gosh, if I had a little one and I’m already stressed out and I had a crying kid in the back and I’m looking for a charging station, I would lose my mind right now.’”
How to shrink the EV gender gap
Charging companies are addressing the infrastructure concerns by building more stations with better designs, Leigh said.
“The situation is getting much better,” she said, pointing to stations built by Rove, Ionna and Electrify America. “They’ve taken safety into consideration. There’s lighting, there’s 24-hour security, and there are no hidden spots.”
Meanwhile, Mendoza, Leigh and Wooten-Chapple are working on promoting EVs to women by creating online communities and social media accounts, organizing EV driver meetups, and speaking on “ask an EV owner” panels. In addition to the Mustang Mach-E Girls Club, Wooten-Chapple runs the @MachEMom account on Instagram. Leigh and Mendoza are ambassadors for a public awareness campaign called “I’ll Drive What She’s Driving” that showcases women who own EVs.
“The goal of our campaign was really to break down that barrier for women in terms of giving them a neutral, comfortable space where they can ask questions and learn more and hear from other women drivers,” said Kay Campbell, senior communications director at Generation 180, who helped launch the campaign.
“Word of mouth is the biggest way you learn about new products or cars … and if women aren’t hearing about it from other women, then it’s slower to materialize,” Campbell added.
Wooten-Chapple said she’s seen that approach pay off in the Mustang Mach-E Girls Club. “I’ve seen multiple people say, ‘I’ve been lurking around in this group for a little while. I finally got my Mustang Mach-E. Thank you guys for all the information,’” she said.
“I really want to portray that driving an EV … is not just for the men out there, it’s for everyone,” Wooten-Chapple said.
