A significant number of Americans who own electric vehicles wish they’d never given up their gas-powered rides, according to a new study.

McKinsey’s Mobility Consumer Pulse study for 2024, released this month, finds that 46 percent of EV owners in America are “very” likely to switch back to gas-powered vehicles for their next purchase.

The high percentage of Americans wanting to revert to traditional vehicles was unexpected even for the consulting firm.

“I didn’t expect that,” commented Philipp Kampshoff, head of McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility, in an interview with Automotive News. “I thought, ‘Once an EV buyer, always an EV buyer.'”

The survey, which polled nearly 37,000 consumers worldwide, found that Australia was the only country with a higher percentage of EV owners wishing to return to internal combustion engines, with a rate of 49 percent.

Other countries included in the survey were Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Norway. On average, 29 percent of respondents across all countries indicated a desire to switch back to gas-powered vehicles.

The primary reason cited by EV owners for wanting to switch back was the lack of available charging infrastructure, with 35 percent of respondents identifying this issue.

The second most common reason, mentioned by 34 percent, was the high total cost of owning an EV. Additionally, 32 percent of EV owners reported that their driving patterns on long-distance trips were adversely affected due to owning an EV.

While McKinsey noted some improvement in consumer satisfaction with charging availability since last year’s survey, they acknowledged that significant progress is still needed.

Only 11 percent of EV owners globally said the infrastructure where they live is well-equipped with charge points.

Meanwhile, 40 percent reported insufficient chargers along highways and main roads, and 38 percent highlighted a lack of chargers in close proximity to their locations.