Even the highest gas prices in history won’t deter Americans from taking road trips this Memorial Day—they might just look a little different. 82% of Americans planning to travel during the holiday weekend will do so by car, according to a Cars.com consumer survey.
The survey, which was carried out from May 4-9 and received 1,620 responses, included questions about drivers’ road trip plans and how gas prices and the country’s electric vehicle infrastructure influenced those plans.
Here are some of the survey’s key takeaways from Jerry
, your favorite car insurance
broker and automotive super app
: 
4.717k Ratings5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged
The changing American road trip
“It seems many Americans are willing to pay a premium to take some time off and celebrate the holiday,” Cars.com editor in chief Jenni Newman said, “But the nature of the road trip is changing: Carpooling is no longer just for work and school commutes, and routes and destinations are being shaped by the availability of EV infrastructure for a growing number of travelers.”
Travel across all modes of transportation is up 8% from last year, but car travel is down 7% thanks to a 35% average increase in gas prices, concerns about inflation, and COVID-19.
Carpooling is popular for similar reasons: 87% of those surveyed said they’ll be traveling with others over the holiday weekend and just over half of them mentioned gas prices as the reason.
EV-powered road trips
11% of those traveling by car said they’ll be taking an electric vehicle.
47% of electric vehicle owners said they take between three and five road trips every year.
Road trips in electric vehicles look different than in gas-powered cars, down to the routes drivers take. Since EV charging stations aren’t nearly as common as gas stations, more planning is required for a road trip in an electric vehicle.
About three-fourths of EV owners map out charging stations before setting out on a road trip. Surprisingly, 60% of EV owners over 55 said they don’t do this, compared to 15% of 18–34-year olds and 11% of 35–54-year-olds.
Stay safe on your road trip with good car insurance
No matter where the summer takes you, you’ll want to stay protected with a good car insurance plan. With gas prices higher than ever, there’s never been a better time to shop around for deals with Jerry
, the car insurance super app. Signing up is free and takes about 45 seconds. Then, Jerry compares plans from more than 50 top insurance companies to find users the coverage they need at the best price. Jerry can help cancel your old plan and sign up for your new one, too. Users save an average of over $800 a year.
“Jerry
got me out of a bind! I bought a new car, and my existing insurance raised my prices and didn’t budge. Thankfully, Jerry got me an affordable rate without me waiting for phone calls all day.” —Felicia M.
RECOMMENDEDNo spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
