Apologies if this article has already been posted, but I found it interesting:
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-17/ev-sales-fizzle
Reinforces what I've heard from several sources: People are buying Teslas because they want to own or be seen in a Tesla. That it happens to be an EV is somewhat ancillary, although it does form some of the car's appeal. The abysmal sales of non-Tesla EVs supports that theory. For example, at least on paper the Chevy Bolt is an entirely acceptable EV, but they were only able to sell about 16,000 of them. And the Tesla sales success story is limited to the Model 3: Model S and X sales are falling. Audi and Jaguar EV sales are especially low. Even Hyundia and Kia, whose EVs have gotten good reviews, are barely moving any vehicles.
I wonder why this is: One could argue that Tesla's far superior charging network is a reason, although I wonder how many EV drivers actually regularly charge somewhere other than home. Otherwise I can only surmise that reasons are what the article says: Range anxiety, cost, style (not an SUV), and low fuel prices.
A few thoughts on that subject.
While the Bolt is entirely adequate for commuting or a bit of intercity travel along the densely populated east coast, it is problematic for longer road trips due to its slow charging speed of about 50 kW. Compare to a Tesla's
average charging speed of well over 100 kW, with max charge rates of up to 250 kW. The Bolt just doesn't compare favorably on long trips, which is a sticking point for many car buyers. The Bolt also has an ergonomics problem for larger people, although GM has improved that we redesigned seats in recent months.
EV fast charging infrastructure for non-Teslas is inadequate in much of the US. Electrify America is building their network out as fast as they can, but there are still gaps along the major travel routes, with some travel routes completely unserved.
The range of many non-Teslas is still poor. The Audi e-Tron, for example, has a range of about 204 EPA miles. Typical highway travel speeds of 70+ miles per hour will reduce that. Cold weather will also reduce that. Expect winter road trip range to be between 125 and 150 miles, which is poor, especially considering the aforementioned limited charging network. This is due to the vehicle's poor efficiency, which also results in higher per-mile charging costs.
Hyundai and Kia can't build cars fast enough due to battery cell shortages. They actually make some very compelling vehicles that offer fast charging rates of 70-80 kW, a compelling form factor for many buyers (CUVs and hatchbacks) and have reasonable prices.
As many here know, I have always been a major road tripper. I drove our Passat TDI across the country several times. Tesla was the only option due to high vehicle efficiency, high performance and a robust and rapidly expanding fast charging network. Add to that high resale value, compelling technology and good ergonomics, and the Tesla ended up being the obvious decision.
But everyone has their own set of desires and must-haves. It will be good for everyone when the legacy auto manufacturers start offering compelling EVs in higher quantities. Unfortunately, they seem to have found themselves significantly behind the curve due to Ostrich Syndrome - convincing themselves that their current offerings are fine and that building EVs is easy (some have likened it to flipping a switch).
After 55,000 miles in 17 months, I'm still very happy with our choice. I've been all over the country in it and have a 7,000 mile cross-country road trip to visit family planned this coming May. I've had no trouble traveling or charging, even in the dead of wither with sub-zero temperatures and snow in Michigan. The car continues to receive improvements via over-the-air updates and the Supercharger network continues to expand rapidly, especially across smaller state routes now that most of the interstate highways are covered.
