Dec 7, 2023 05:54 PM
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/202...-all-wrong
EXCERPTS: . . . It's not that Americans are opposed to EVs, per se – it's rather that an overwhelming swath of consumers want EVs that can take them as far on a single charge as they can get on a tank of gas. And in a country where the top-selling vehicles are pickup trucks and large SUVs, buyers are less likely to downsize to go electric.
Right now, says Chris Hopson, a principal analyst at S&P Global Mobility, for most consumers switching to an EV would mean a change of lifestyle. It's a switch many seem unwilling to make. "Beyond affordability, the next thing is, 'I want my lifestyle not to change because of my vehicle'," he says.
[...] The popularity of trucks and large SUVs has remained steady in the United States, and EV options in those segments remain limited. The ones that have hit the market have come with some considerable drawbacks.
[...] Essentially, says Hensley, the results speak to Baby Boomers' resistance to change, and unwillingness to let brand new technology alter their lifestyle, especially compared to younger people. "I think there is a fundamental difference there just in terms of expectations out of a vehicle," he says.
Younger consumers, on the other hand, are more open to a paradigm shift in the way they think about driving. In other words, they might not expect an EV to do everything a gas-powered car can do. They might be open, instead, to shaping their lives around the tech, rather than expecting the tech to fit their existing lifestyle.
"Right now, the people who can most easily go out and buy an EV," says Hensley, referring to the Baby Boomers, who currently control 70% of the disposable income in the US, "are the ones with the least willingness to change".
Of course, that won't always be the case. As the buying power of millennials and younger generations grows, EV market share will too, he says. The big unanswered question, he adds, is whether it's really the cars that need to evolve in the meantime, or Americans' expectations... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: . . . It's not that Americans are opposed to EVs, per se – it's rather that an overwhelming swath of consumers want EVs that can take them as far on a single charge as they can get on a tank of gas. And in a country where the top-selling vehicles are pickup trucks and large SUVs, buyers are less likely to downsize to go electric.
Right now, says Chris Hopson, a principal analyst at S&P Global Mobility, for most consumers switching to an EV would mean a change of lifestyle. It's a switch many seem unwilling to make. "Beyond affordability, the next thing is, 'I want my lifestyle not to change because of my vehicle'," he says.
[...] The popularity of trucks and large SUVs has remained steady in the United States, and EV options in those segments remain limited. The ones that have hit the market have come with some considerable drawbacks.
[...] Essentially, says Hensley, the results speak to Baby Boomers' resistance to change, and unwillingness to let brand new technology alter their lifestyle, especially compared to younger people. "I think there is a fundamental difference there just in terms of expectations out of a vehicle," he says.
Younger consumers, on the other hand, are more open to a paradigm shift in the way they think about driving. In other words, they might not expect an EV to do everything a gas-powered car can do. They might be open, instead, to shaping their lives around the tech, rather than expecting the tech to fit their existing lifestyle.
"Right now, the people who can most easily go out and buy an EV," says Hensley, referring to the Baby Boomers, who currently control 70% of the disposable income in the US, "are the ones with the least willingness to change".
Of course, that won't always be the case. As the buying power of millennials and younger generations grows, EV market share will too, he says. The big unanswered question, he adds, is whether it's really the cars that need to evolve in the meantime, or Americans' expectations... (MORE - missing details)