Spooked by high fuel costs? What you need to know about owning an EV

With the national average for a gallon of gasoline stuck above $4, some Americans may be ready to go electric.

Searches for "green vehicles" on Edmunds.com jumped 39% over the last month as fuel prices skyrocketed. Battery electric vehicles totaled 2.6% of new vehicle purchases in 2021, according to Edmunds, and that number could rise to 4% this year.

"People are very frustrated with gas prices right now and are searching for alternatives," Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of insights, told ABC News. "In 2008 -- the last time we saw significant consumer reaction to gas prices -- people moved into smaller vehicles. The dialogue now is about EVs, not downsizing."

EVs, however, come with a hefty price tag. The average transaction price for a new EV was $60,054 in February versus $45,596 for the industry average, according to Edmunds.