While sales of EVs are still growing, it’s now the rural drivers in small towns that automakers need to convince
Sales of electric cars are slowly but surely getting to the point lawmakers are happy with. Last year, EVs accounted for almost 10% of all new car registrations and registrations of hybrid models were even higher than that. It turns out, however, that looking at the total number of EVs sold in America doesn’t tell the whole story, as some states really aren’t interested in making the switch to battery power.
According to a new report from The New York Times, states like California are flying the flag for EVs, with cities including San Francisco reporting that 30 percent of new cars sold were EVs in 2023. In contrast, metro areas like Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan, are at the complete other end of the spectrum. As The Times reports:
In 2023, electric vehicles accounted for more than 30 percent of auto registrations in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to data from S&P Global $SPGI Mobility. In Los Angeles, that number was close to 25 percent.
At the same time, “there are still parts of the U.S. that, frankly, don’t have anything to do with E.V.s,” Mr. Libby said. “They just have no interest in them.” Just 3 percent of vehicle registrations were electric in Detroit, the country’s auto capital, and only 1 percent in the Bismarck, N.D. area.
Americans who have made the shift to electric vehicles so far tend to be richer, younger and more likely to live in urban areas than the average person, research shows. Many reported being motivated by environmental concerns, and some by interest in the latest, cutting-edge technology.
When it comes to the question of why people in areas like McAllen, Texas, and Cleveland, Ohio, haven’t made the switch to battery power just yet it’s an all-too familiar answer. The Times says it’s all about range, charging infrastructure and higher cost.
Sure, the price of a Tesla $TSLA Model Y has been slashed in recent months to make it one of the few new EVs that similarly priced to their gas-powered counterparts, but that’s just one part of the problem. As The Times explains:
“Being able to charge at home is the thing that very much still divides the E.V. experience from pretty easy and kind of hard,” said Ken Kurani, a researcher focused on electric vehicles at the University of California, Davis.
Public chargers can be less efficient in freezing temperatures, too. Some Tesla owners in Chicago struggled with charging during an icy blast in January. Experts said that was an unusual case. Norway, no stranger to cold, has the highest E.V. adoption rate in the world. Still, stories of charging troubles like these can affect public attitudes, Dr. Kurani said.
While sales of EVs are still growing, it appears as if the early adopters have now been convinced. Now, The Times reports that it’s now the rural drivers in small towns that automakers need to convince an electric car is the right way to go. Those drivers may be some of the most difficult to switch onto battery power.
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