You can subsidize a buyer into the auto showroom, but you can’t make him buy.
That’s the word from some 3,900 car dealers across the country who on Tuesday wrote President Biden that electric vehicles are piling up unsold on their lots.
They want relief from his onerous and unrealistic EV sales mandate. [emphasis, links added]
“There are many excellent battery electric vehicles available for consumers to purchase,” the dealers write in their letter to the President.
But they add that “electric vehicle demand today is not keeping up with the large influx of BEVs arriving at our dealerships prompted by the current regulations,” and “BEVs are stacking up on our lots.”
Dealers have a 103-day supply of EVs compared to 56 days for all cars. It takes them on average 65 days to sell an EV, about twice as long as for gas-powered cars.
EV sales are slowing though manufacturers have slashed prices and increased discounts. Consumers paid on average $50,683 for an EV in September, compared to $65,000 a year ago.
The reason, as the dealers explain, is that “early adopters formed an initial line and were ready to buy these vehicles as soon as we had them to sell.”
But most consumers aren’t “ready to make the change,” in part because EVs are still too expensive.
Many apartment renters also don’t have garages for home charging, and public charging networks are spotty with one in four not functional, according to one study.
“Customers are also concerned about the loss of driving range in cold or hot weather,” the auto dealers say. “Some have long daily commutes and don’t have the extra time to charge the battery. Truck buyers are especially put off by the dramatic loss of range when towing.”
The dealers want the Administration to “tap the brakes” on its proposed tailpipe emissions rules that would effectively mandate that EVs comprise two-thirds of car sales by 2032.
Automakers might meet the government’s quotas in leftwing cities where Teslas are a political fashion statement, but price and convenience matter more elsewhere.
A new study from the University of California, Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas finds a “strong and enduring correlation between political ideology and U.S. EV adoption.”
About half of EVs registered as of last year were to “the 10% most Democratic counties, and about one-third to the top 5%,” the study notes.
This suggests that “it may be harder than previously believed to reach high levels of U.S. EV adoption.”
The dealers’ letter is an important political signal that progressive climate coercion isn’t as popular as Democrats think. Americans don’t like to be told what to do or what they must buy.
As the dealers put it, “Many people just want to make their own choice about what vehicle is right for them.” Imagine that.
Top photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
Read more at WSJ
If you enjoy being laughed at, buy an EV. They remind me of the so called Smart Car.
I saw a one-line bit on Bloomberg this morning….”there’s never been a better time to buy an EV”. There never was a good time to buy one. In addition to this article’s points, a change in government will likely put an end to the ridiculous subsidies. Ford, GM and Chrysler bought into a very bad idea. Today, GM CEO Mary Barra offered shareholders a big apology, buying back 10% of their common shares ($10 billion dollars worth)
I expect that many of the battery factories won’t get built. Toyota is right, hybrids are the better idea.
Agree Sonny… One other point often overlooked is ongoing improvements to IC engines. There are 2.0 litre engines with twin turbos on the market returning 5 litres per 100kms travelled. And these cars really get up and go so in performance terms, they have the goods.
In the diesel market, compact diesels with tubos are capable of pulling big loads and returning vastly improved economy. These new engines are also lighter in weight.
I have been telling friends for two years now that they should watch Toyota because they are not following the crowd.
Sonny, not just hybrids but what the chairman has said is the plug-in hybrid. It has a big enough battery to be used for most local commutes but still has the “hybrid” ICE for real trips. And he has clearly put his money where his claim is–Toyota has the most plug-in hybrids going from the lowest cost Prius to larger SUVs. We’ll see how this plays out.
There’s more bad news for GM & Co…
China has been making too many BV’s and they are dumping them on the international market, meaning they will be very cheap. This, along with customer resistance will make it almost impossible to sell US built BV’s.
Biden has created a huge economic mess for the car industry.
I don’t want my house burned down by an out of control lithium fire.
That should be everyone’s number one concern. Here in NYC there have been hundreds of serious fires caused by e-bikes. The BEV’s can only be more dangerous.