Staff Reports
Electric Vehicles Fail to Gain Traction Among Everyday Americans
It’s a hard sell for car dealers as they struggle to push electric vehicles (EVs) onto everyday Americans. Ohio car dealer Rhett Ricart isn’t beating around the bush, admitting that the average Joe just isn’t biting. He pointed out that while the rich folks might splurge on a Tesla, the working class is just not ready to hop on the EV bandwagon. Even Washington, DC-area dealer Vince Sheehy, who drives an EV himself, is singing the same tune. He confessed that EVs are taking forever to roll off his lot, indicating that the average American car buyer isn’t giving them a second glance.
Electric vehicles have dealers stumped on how to make convincing sales pitch https://t.co/yVVBGk8KSs
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 20, 2023
In a bid to drum up interest, Tesla CEO Elon Musk slashed the prices of his electric models by a whopping 25%. This move brought the price of the Model X SUV down to $79,990 from a jaw-dropping $120,990. Musk’s clear message? They need to make these electric rides more wallet-friendly for the regular folk. And it seems the Department of Energy is on the same page, pointing out a 20% drop in EV prices from the year before. They’re even stressing the long-term cost savings on maintenance and fuel for electric vehicles.
Despite these efforts, the grim reality remains: EVs are still a tough sell to everyday Americans. Last month, only about 10% of light-duty vehicle purchases nationwide were EVs, and that number includes just over 112,000 plug-in vehicles sold. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the EV enthusiasts, but it seems like the general public is just not ready to make the switch.
