Though consumers in the U.S. are finally viewing electric vehicles as an option at an expanding rate, less that 1% of Americans are currently driving such vehicles. It will take until

Though the range and size of electric vehicles are often cited as a barrier to adoption, a new survey has shown that a large portion of Americans could use an electric vehicle with little or no change to their lifestyle.

The survey, performed by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), found that as many as 42% of U.S. households could use plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to fulfill their vehicle needs without significantly changing their driving habits. These Americans have access to a parking space where they can charge such a vehicle, have four or fewer passengers to transport, and have no need of a truck bed or the ability to haul anything behind their vehicle.

This means that 45 million American households could consider current electric vehicles as their next purchase. Over one-fifth of U.S. households would be able to use pure plug-in electric vehicles without any dent in their lifestyle.

“Consumers who might be shopping for a new vehicle this holiday season may be surprised to learn that an electric vehicle could be a good fit for their household,” said Josh Goldman, policy analyst for Clean Vehicles at the UCS. “Drivers may have preconceptions about whether electric vehicles can meet their driving needs and habits, and this survey shows that for many, they can.”

The UCS prepared an infographic showing off the results of the survey. The image also contains statistics about the money consumers can save with an electric vehicle and how much such vehicles could cut pollution: