Yves here. Yours truly often has the unwelcome task of being a voice of realism. And the evidence keeps piling up that, as they say in Maine, you can’t get there from here, as in you can’t get a green energy transition anywhere near soon enough in a neoliberal system. You need a ton more dirigisme, as in top-down planning and control. But you’d also need widespread acceptance of the urgency of the problem and a willingness to change behaviors, which because freedumb, is not likely to happen either. And you’d need a lot better and less self/grifting motivated planners than we seem able to produce under neoliberalism. I know this sounds like a fable, but it was not all that long ago that people often went into government roles or became university administrators not for the current or eventual financial opportunities, but because they had made what they deemed to be enough money and saw these roles as public service.
The EV mandates/planned timing for phaseouts of gas cars are one example. Consumer mandates without economic benefits and needed related investments, like upgrades to the grid, are a prescription for limited uptake. Nevertheless, take note of the cute branding of the car dealers’ lobbying effort. That does not mean their point is not valid. We’ve been getting reports from readers of big dealer inventories of EVs for some time.
By Julianne Geiger, a veteran editor, writer and researcher for Oilprice.com. Originally published at OilPrice
Most US car buyers aren’t interested in purchasing electric vehicles, incentives or not, a group of US car deals known as EV Voice of the Customer warned the Biden Administration on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, EV Voice of the Customer persuaded the Administration to pump the brakes on federal regulations that would require two-thirds of all vehicles sold in the United States in 2032 to be electric—because it simply isn’t what car buyers want, even with the current incentives.
The group of 3,700 dealers spread across all 50 states and covering all major car brands stated that electric vehicle inventories on car dealership lots are growing as deliveries outpace demand.
“The reality is that electric vehicle demand today is not keeping up with the large influx of BEVs arriving at our dealerships prompted by the current regulations. BEVs are stacking up on our lots,” the letter read in part.
According to EV Voice of the Customer, the reason for car buyers’ reluctance to purchase EVs stems from the still high price of EVs—even with incentives—and the fact that most buyers don’t have a garage. Other concerns cited include insufficient charging infrastructure, energy grid instability, and critical minerals required in the manufacture of EVs batteries.
The group referred to the federal push as “Draconian,” recommending instead that the Administration “Allow time for the American consumer to get comfortable with the technology and make the choice to buy an electric vehicle.”
The letter acknowledged that the appeal of EVs will grow over time. “Early adopters formed an initial line and were ready to buy these vehicles as soon as we had them to sell. But that enthusiasm has stalled. Today, the supply of unsold BEVs is surging, as they are not selling nearly as fast as they are arriving at our dealerships — even with deep price cuts, manufacturer incentives, and generous government incentives.”