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Current administration policies might not be doing faltering US EV adoption any favors, but research thinks there’s another big reason that’s a lot closer to home—the junk in your garage.
A new report from strategic communications firm Telemetry, spotted by Ars Technica, has found that though many Americans have the capacity to have their own EV chargers, they simply can’t make room.
“90% of all houses can add a 240-volt outlet near where cars could be parked,” said Telemetry’s Vice President of Market Research Sam Abuelsamid. He thinks that as a result “whether homeowners use a private garage for parking or storage will likely become a key factor in EV adoption.”
“Today, garage-use intent is potentially a greater factor for in-house charging ability than the house’s capacity to add 240-volt outlets,” he added.
The report highlights research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which found that an estimated 42% of homeowners park near existing electrical access that can work with a Level 2 charger, though it might need modification. Still, junk-packed garages aren’t the only thing stopping Americans from having their own home charger. The study also highlights that “the prohibitive cost” of upgrading their home’s electrical service is another major issue. Out of the homeowners with both the access and space to add home charging, almost 40% need extensive electrical work, potentially costing thousands of dollars, to get the right wiring. This issue primarily impacts older homes, or homes in more remote areas.
The fact that many Americans share their parking spaces is another contributing factor, as per the research. While 20% of new EV purchasers today live in multi-family dwellings (MFDs) like apartments, townhomes, and condos, just 11% of these report parking near charging access at their residence.
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Though public chargers have become more common in recent years, despite threats to building better charging networks, Telemetry says home charging still accounts for 80% of all EV charging in he US.
But regardless of why Americans aren’t racing to buy EVs like they used to, the US has been falling behind when it comes to EV growth (though sales are still rising slowly overall). EV sales grew a meager 2% in the US in the first seven months of 2025, compared to Europe and China, which boasted impressive 29% and 30% sales growth, respectively. Analysts chalked up some of the US’s sales performance to ongoing tariff fears and anti-electrification moves, but also pointed to rich subsidies for new EV buyers in China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
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About Will McCurdy
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