I think much more than 40% of drivers could use an electric vehicle with today's ranges if they could make them economic (I think a big majority of two car families could use one, and a ton of single drivers could too provided they are not in multifamily housing and have a garage or carport to charge in at night.
But if you compare like with like, the economics are terrible. As far as I can tell, the bottom range for a 7 seat full EV that has comparable room to a Pilot/Explorer/Grand Highlander type ICE SUV is $90k. That's basically requiring 7 seats and some decent storage behind the third row when it's up. I can do a decked out version of a Pilot at just over $50k I think. So you're talking a hell of a lot of gas and oil changes and engine repairs, plus by the time you get there the battery may be shot.
Not sure how much of that differential is an economy of scales issue and how much is a technological challenge as far as batter efficiency and weight.
I think the economics get better as you compare a 5 seater to 5 seater, but I can't use that so haven't gotten into the details as far as how much space some of the EVs really have compared to normal 4 door sedans.
Yeah, the 7-seat thing is definitely an issue. I'm guessing the $90k model you're thinking of is the three-row Rivian? There's the upcoming VW Bus reboot, which looks cool and is pretty spacious, but suffers from low range (230-ish miles) and unimpressive charging speeds. It costs $60k - $65k.
And then there's the Kia EV9, which is probably the most competitive three-row EV right now -- same or more passenger room than Pilots and Explorers, same or better in cargo room, too, 300 miles of range, very fast charging, and solidly equipped in the upper $50s or mid $60s. I think it qualifies for the full $7,500 tax credit currently. I'm sure the next administration will tighten the regs related to the credit, though who knows whether Congress will repeal the whole law.
But that's about it for EV options like that. There are great hybrid choices in that range, though. Hybrid Highlander and Grand Highlander, the Sienna, the hybrid Aviator, the Volvo XC90, hybrid Kia Sorento, etc. My wife's got a three-row plug-in hybrid Pacifica minivan that's been really useful. 30 miles of EV range plugging in to a normal wall socket overnight, then 30 mpg on gas. Same massive passenger and cargo space as a normal ICE minivan, too. Great for normal commuting, which is almost entirely electric, but also great for road trips, especially if you rent a house or cabin so that you can recharge every night. (Granted, it's a Chrysler, so we got an extended warranty on the thing.)
As for hybrids in general, we've driven them since 2010 in our house and I agree with others on here that they should become the norm. I had a Ford Fusion hybrid for over a decade and loved it. Plenty of room, great ride, and between 35 - 40 mpg the entire time. I had to pay for a single repair in 13 years of ownership, a $300 throttle body assembly. Same story for a Prius we had for a while. The plugin RAV4 Prime I'm driving now will hopefully continue the trend. 40 - 50 miles of EV range from overnight charging in a wall socket, nearly 40 mpg on gas, and faster than it should be (302 horsepower with tons of torque).
