Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why US drivers may be thinking about EVs all wrong
Electric vehicle sales surged nearly 50% in 2023 from the year before Of
the 15.5 million new cars sold in the US, about one million, or 6.4%, were EVs.
Compared with China or the EU, whose EV sales reached 25% and 22% of the new car
sales respectively, EVs haven’t been sold so much in the US even though it is
the home of the world EV leader, Tesla. Why American’s aren’t buying EVs
compared with China or European countries? One reason is the type and size of
the cars many Americans currently own and drive. In fact, half of the top ten
best-selling vehicles in the US are large pickup trucks and SUVs. It’s part of
their lifestyle. If you live in a large house in the countryside or suburban area,
you want to have a large-screen TV and a large vehicle to match the size of the
house and family. However, EVs aren’t suitable for large and heavy vehicles
because of the battery size and weight, at least for now. Also, many American drivers
expect their EVs to go 500 kilometers or longer per charge even though most
drivers drive less than 20 or 30 kilometers a day. And then, concerns about public
charging infrastructure. These barriers seem more common among baby boomers,
who are now 56 or older and have been used to the bigger-the-better culture. However,
those who have grown up with smartphones are used to small-size displays and living
spaces. And they want to be connected and eco-friendly while driving like EVs. So,
it is expected that things will gradually change as the profiles and preferences
of car buyers shift to younger generations.
Read the article and learn about Americans’ expectations and
preferences for their cars.
No comments:
Post a Comment