Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Electric Vehicles Are the U.S. Auto Industry’s Future—If Dealers Can Figure Out How to Sell Them
The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 7, 2021 | Nora Naughton |

Posted on 03/07/2021 8:08:35 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Car dealer Brad Sowers is spending money to prepare for the coming wave of new electric models from General Motors Co. He is installing charging stations, upgrading service bays and retraining staff at his St. Louis-area dealership to handle the technology-packed vehicles.

But when he considers how many plug-in Chevy Bolts he sold last year—nine, out of the nearly 4,000 Chevrolets sold at his Missouri dealerships—it gives him pause.

“The consumer in the middle of America just isn’t there yet,” when it comes to switching to electric vehicles, he said, citing the long distances many of his customers drive daily and a lack of charging infrastructure outside major cities.

As auto executives and investors buzz about the coming age of the electric car, many dealers say they are struggling to square that enthusiasm with the reality today on new-car sales lots, where last year battery-powered vehicles made up fewer than 2% of U.S. auto sales.

Most consumers who come to showrooms aren’t shopping for electric cars, and with gasoline prices relatively low, even hybrid models can be a tough sell, dealers and industry analysts say.

Auto makers are moving aggressively to expand their electric-vehicle offerings with dozens of new models set to arrive in coming years. Some like GM are setting firm targets for when they plan to phase out gas-powered cars entirely.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: autonomousvehicles; chatforum; elonmusk; ev; fakenews; fastcharging; fossilfuelforever; tesla; v8powerbaby
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 501 next last

1 posted on 03/07/2021 8:08:35 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

It’s not just that the consumer isn’t there, the logistics aren’t there. Not enough range for much of the country, takes too long to re-charge vs. 5 minutes to fill a gas tank, not enough places to re-charge because you can’t get in and out like a gas station so you end up with long lines. More EV propaganda.


2 posted on 03/07/2021 8:13:06 PM PST by JMS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

I hear they are a big thing in those retirement golf course communities.


3 posted on 03/07/2021 8:15:02 PM PST by doorgunner69 ("Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.." -Joseph Stalin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

if anyone remembers the first led flashlights and then led light bulbs, they were not great either, but now that they are if I have a choice between led and incandescent, mostly I will use led.

exceptions for Lava lamps and ez-bake ovens

and sometimes the florescent tube ones are good also, like for motion sensitive outside lights so they start dim in the morning when you go outside.

I guess what I am saying is when electric cars get better and cheaper many people will choose them, but there will be use cases for gas and diesel powered vehicles


4 posted on 03/07/2021 8:15:20 PM PST by algore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JMS
takes too long to re-charge vs. 5 minutes to fill a gas tank

Until you can get an EV to recharge the battery in 5 minutes or less, I fail to see how this is a "superior technology" over the internal combustion engine.

5 posted on 03/07/2021 8:15:35 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JMS
It’s not just that the consumer isn’t there, the logistics aren’t there.

Eloithink - clashing with reality since 1960.

6 posted on 03/07/2021 8:16:37 PM PST by kiryandil (New Movie: The Assassination Of Ashli Babbitt By The Anonymous Coward)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Why the hell would u limit your travel that way?
8 hrs to fully charge, 100 mile add @ 35min with a rapid charger. IF you can find a charger.

Gas fill up available virtually every where, 10 minutes, including taking a leak.


7 posted on 03/07/2021 8:17:47 PM PST by Adder ("Can you be more stupid?" is a question, not a challenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: algore
I guess what I am saying is when electric cars get better and cheaper many people will choose them, but there will be use cases for gas and diesel powered vehicles

Honestly, 90% of Americans will be fine on EVs. You only need to use gas and diesel powered vehicle if you're transporting something cross country. But for rest of us, we go to work and then when we come home, we plug in the EV to the power grid so it will be fully charged in the morning.

8 posted on 03/07/2021 8:17:53 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: JMS

This too-early EV push will be a disaster. Not enough generating capacity (build nukes!), not enough transmission and distribution infrastructure. And they’re not suitable for a cold winter storm in the upper Midwest / Dakotas / Idaho / etc.


9 posted on 03/07/2021 8:19:53 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

“we plug in the EV to the power grid so it will be fully charged in the morning.”

How big of a electric bill you willing to pay?

It will cost one hell of a lot more than filling up with gas.


10 posted on 03/07/2021 8:20:50 PM PST by crz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FreedomPoster
And they’re not suitable for a cold winter storm in the upper Midwest / Dakotas / Idaho / etc.

And Texas.

11 posted on 03/07/2021 8:20:52 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

You must live pretty close to an urban area - when I was in Southern California, it’s not unheard of to travel several hundred miles at a time given the distance between cities and the need to jump in the car to go different places.


12 posted on 03/07/2021 8:21:24 PM PST by JMS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: crz
How big of a electric bill you willing to pay?

Yeah, that won't be fun.

13 posted on 03/07/2021 8:22:12 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Electric vehicles are a joke.


14 posted on 03/07/2021 8:22:25 PM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues th the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Plugging in an EV worked great in Texas when the power was out.


15 posted on 03/07/2021 8:22:56 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (This space for rant.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Much of the move to electric vehicles will be forced by governments.


16 posted on 03/07/2021 8:23:37 PM PST by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
NINE sold to voluntary buyers [buoyed up with HUGE federal tax subsidies]...out of the nearly FOUR THOUSAND Chevrolets sold at his Missouri dealerships!

YOU WILL buy them and YOU WILL be glad you did.

Never forget, Drumpf was a dictator.


17 posted on 03/07/2021 8:23:47 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (The Weak Never Started, The Cowards fail along the way, Only the Strong Survive)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JMS
Follow the supply chain up to the cobalt mines....

Can't drill for oil, though. It's a dirty fossil fuel...


18 posted on 03/07/2021 8:26:10 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (The Weak Never Started, The Cowards fail along the way, Only the Strong Survive)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DarthVader

And for some reason EV supporters believe that when tons of rare earth metals and lithium are needed for the EV boom batteries the price of those raw materials will be similar to what it is now. Get real.


19 posted on 03/07/2021 8:26:53 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (This space for rant.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: PGR88
Much of the move to electric vehicles will be forced by governments.

That's what the stock market is telling us. And the investments made by our automobile companies into manufacturing EVs. Everyone knows that the government is going to force us to drive EVs with the possible exception of truckers using gas/diesel for their transportation needs.

20 posted on 03/07/2021 8:27:08 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 501 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson