EV adoption faces some roadblocks

The Future. Getting Americans inside an electric vehicle is becoming easier, but issues with price, availability, and infrastructure are keeping the market from really taking off. If the government and automakers race to tackle the roadblocks from every angle, EV adoption may be a no-brainer for any new lease or purchase.

Speed up, slow down
EVs are here… but they’re hitting a bumpy road. Axios breaks down the reasons why.

• Price. Although sales are up (almost 6% of vehicle sales in Q1), they still only represent under 1% of the cars on the road. And with the average price for an EV idling at $67,000, many Americans couldn’t afford one even if they wanted to make the switch. That’s a problem when tax credits can only be used if the car is under a specific price.
• Availability. It’s that same old story of supply chain issues again. Automakers are already having a tough time filling orders, leading to long wait times (something Tesla drivers know all too well).
• Charging. There’s still a nervousness among drivers that if they get an EV, they’ll have trouble finding a place to charge on the road. Luckily, several companies are working on scaling charging access across the country.
• Education. For many people, EVs are still a new concept, and the busyness of daily life means that many people don’t have the time to learn about them. Not to mention, 46% of Americans aren’t even aware of government purchase incentives. There’s a lot more outreach to be done.

None of these problems are insurmountable, but they’ll take time and effort. The new proposed climate bill would provide expanded tax credits for all EV purchases, offer a credit for first-time EV-buyers, and subsidies for larger commercial fleet purchases.