{"id":54660,"date":"2023-10-27T15:50:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T19:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/?p=54660"},"modified":"2023-10-27T15:50:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T19:50:09","slug":"automakers-come-around-to-electric-vehicle-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/featured-news\/automakers-come-around-to-electric-vehicle-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Automakers Come Around to Electric Vehicle Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"
Automakers are discovering that electric vehicles<\/a> are not as popular with consumers as the media frequently portrays. According to the Wall Street Journal<\/em>:<\/p>\n The Biden administration has made EVs a centerpiece of its industrial policy, and the United Auto Workers union is\u00a0on strike at the Detroit car companies<\/a>, in part because it is worried about future job security as engine and transmission plants disappear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Still, many consumers are reluctant to make the switch, deterred by high sticker prices and the inconvenience of driving a vehicle that has a limited range and needs regular recharging.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wasn\u2019t ready to get an electric yet, because of range anxiety,\u201d said Robert DuWors, who was recently in the market and had considered a battery-powered car. He instead bought a plug-in hybrid, noting that it gets 40 to 50 miles on a single battery charge, more than he drives in an average day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I use that up, then it is a hybrid,\u201d said the 64-year-old resident of Rancho Mirage, Calif.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The share of the retail market held by EVs has leveled out at around 9% for the past several months, according to data analytics firm J.D. Power, raising broader questions about whether the industry is confronting a short-term blip or a more protracted challenge.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Paul Chesser<\/a>, director of the Corporate Integrity Project<\/a>, criticized General Motors<\/a> for its EV fantasies<\/a> at the 2023 annual shareholder meeting, pointing out EVs do little for the climate and increase reliance on China<\/a> for rare earth elements.<\/p>\n Japanese car makers have been far more realistic with their expectations for EVs, per the WSJ<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n Toyota Motor\u00a0Chairman\u00a0Akio Toyoda, when asked about electric-vehicle challenges including a recent lull in U.S. demand, said the industry was coming to recognize that there isn\u2019t a single answer to reducing carbon emissions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPeople are finally seeing reality,\u201d Toyoda said Wednesday, speaking in his capacity as the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Toyoda, who stepped down this year as Toyota chief executive after nearly 14 years on the job, has long said the auto industry should\u00a0hedge its bets\u00a0<\/a>by continuing to invest in hybrid gasoline-electric cars and other options beyond just electric vehicles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n