The Michigan Economic Development Corporation claimed in a June 18 social media post that eight out of 10 Americans want an electric vehicle.

“Who wants an EV? Actually 81% of Americans,” reads a post from the state agency in charge of handing out corporate subsidies. It continues, “81% of Americans say they would consider buying one, with benefits like cleaner air, lower carbon footprints, and quieter roads.”

Survey respondents were asked: “What would make you consider buying an electric vehicle?” They could pick from a list: “Lower prices,” “More access to charging stations,” “Improvements to their range,” “Improvements in maintenance costs,” “Tax rebates when buying or leasing,” “Other,” or “I would never consider buying an electric vehicle.”

Michigan Capitol Confidential obtained the survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, from the state through an open records request. 

About 19% of respondents picked the last option: “I would never consider buying an electric vehicle.” 

Wakefield Research subtracted those 19% out of 100%, concluding that 81% “WOULD CONSIDER BUYING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE (NET).”

In other words, if EVs were cheaper, if their driving range increased, if there were more charging stations, and if maintenance were cheaper, then 81% of Americans would consider buying an EV.

Danielle Emerson, the state agency’s public relations manager, told CapCon the survey included 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18 and older, with an oversample of 250 Michigan respondents.

“One of the survey questions asked respondents ‘What would make you consider buying an electric vehicle?’ 81% of respondents listed factors that would allow them to consider buying an EV, while 19% said they would never consider buying an EV,” Emerson wrote in an email. “The MEDC is committed to working with our partners in state and local government to secure investments from businesses up and down the supply chain such that more people can consider EV ownership in the future.”

Other recent polls have found different results.

A 2023 Pew Research poll found that 38% of respondents “are very/somewhat likely to seriously consider an electric vehicle the next time they purchase a vehicle.”

 A March Gallup poll found that of Americans surveyed, “9% are seriously considering buying,” 35% “might consider [a purchase] in [the] future,” and 48% “would not” buy an EV.

The MEDC and Gallup surveys were taken in March 2024, and both polled around 1,000 people. The MEDC survey asked 250 Michiganders and 750 Americans from other states. While the MEDC survey found that 19% of Americans would never consider buying an EV, Gallup found that almost half of people polled — 48% — would not buy an electric vehicle in the future. The latter number was up from 41%, recorded in 2023.

A July McKinsey report found that 46% of EV-owning respondents said they were likely to select a gas-powered vehicle for their next purchase.

Democrats in the Michigan Legislature have called for a homeschool registry, saying it would help ensure kids are safe. But the state is failing some children under its own supervision, its own data reveals.

The registry would apply to families who are not even suspected of child abuse or neglect. Meanwhile, 437 children were harmed while in the custody of the state during the 2023 fiscal year. The number was mentioned in a report produced by a court-appointed third party, which said it could not verify the performance of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

A July report released by the Michigan Office of the Auditor General, meanwhile, concluded that some child safety workers failed to follow state law. The state must investigate reports of abuse or neglect within 24 hours of a complaint, but this did not always happen, according to the report.

Elizabeth Hertel, the director of the human services department, wrote a letter in response, calling the auditor’s report “unethical and biased.” She said the report created its own standards by which to evaluate the department rather than using statutes or departmental policies. Hertel called the auditor’s standards arbitrary and unpredictable.

Before the state removes a child and places him in a different residence for reasons of safety, it must run background checks on the adults residing in the new home. But workers sometimes did not follow this protocol. The auditor found dozens of instances where adults in the new home had felony and misdemeanor convictions, including some for domestic violence and drugs.

The July report was a follow-up of a 2018 auditor’s report that revealed 17 “material conditions” of failure in the health and human services department. A ”material condition” is reserved for the most serious failures, with ”reportable condition” applying to less serious ones. The department had fully complied with five findings of the 2018 report, the July audit revealed, but it did not comply with two findings from 2018. It had “substantially complied” with one other finding and ”partially complied” with nine others.

Hertel wrote a letter to the auditor general July 8, criticizing the audit by saying it had created standards outside of statute and health department policies.

While Hertel also accused the auditor of bias, it is not clear why she said that. Lynn Sutfin, departmental spokesperson, didn’t respond to an email asking for clarification.

State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton has called for an increase in the auditor general’s budget to catch agency mistakes. Bollin, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The auditor general’s office did not officially respond to the letter, Kelly Miller, state relations officer for the office, told CapCon in an email. She did, however, summarize the July audit for CapCon:

“It states that material conditions still exist, indicating room for improvement, and that (the department) complied or partially complied with 15 of the 17 prior audit’s material findings, showing progress. This is a complex and sensitive topic and please know that we use our professionalism, experience, and auditing standards to produce factual and independent information for the agencies and legislators to use as they make decisions how best to provide government services to the public. We have extensive due process steps where we fact check every detail within our projects and provide multiple opportunities for the auditee to provide feedback on any verbiage they believe needs clarification.”