America's electric vehicle push happened 'too soon and too fast,' warn ex

Release time：2024-05-21 10:29:50 Source：International Identities news portal

Ex-automotive executives have said America's electric vehicle push happened 'too soon and too fast', amid slumping EV sales.

Former Ford, Chrysler and General Motors executive Bob Lutz said that the drive toward electric cars needed to be gradual, and vehicle charging times and the charging infrastructure across the US have been major issues in widespread adoption.

'We all agreed that the EV revolution was not going to take place, and instead what we would have is an EV evolution,' Lutz said in an interview with Fox Business.

Sales of electric cars are slowing, with Tesla reporting its first year-on-year sales drop since 2020 earlier this month. 

The automaker delivered 386,810 vehicles in the first three months of the year, down almost 9 percent from the same period in 2023.

Tesla reported its first year-on-year sales drop since 2020 earlier this month

While EV sales grew last year to make up a 6.9 percent share of new vehicles in the US - up from 5.2 percent in 2022 - Edmunds predicts this rate of growth will decrease this year. 

The car research site sees EVs making up just 8 percent of the market share in 2024. In some major cities last year, EVs made up just 3 percent of new car registrations. 

Lutz told Fox Business: 'The problem with the whole EV movement is that there was a colossal amount of hype behind it, largely from what I like to call the liberal mainstream media, making it sound like everybody's next vehicle was going to be an EV. 

'We all agreed that the EV revolution was not going to take place, and instead what we would have is an EV evolution,' Lutz said

'And of course, the government was pushing it, because of their climate change policies. And it just plain wasn't going to happen.'

To lower tailpipe emissions, the Biden administration has set out a target to gradually phase out gas cars by 2032. 

The federal legislation requires automakers to reduce the tailpipe emissions of new vehicles by around 50 percent from model year 2026 to 2032. 

But many consumers have complained how a lack of charging stations in rural areas mean that owning an EV is an unrealistic goal for many. 

Ex-Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli told the outlet that building the infrastructure needed to support electric vehicles needs to be a high priority. 

Nardelli, who was the CEO of Chrysler for two years between 2007 and 2009, added: 'The focus on hybrids would have been well-placed as an evolution towards EV.  

'It would have allowed for charging stations and it would have allowed for the massive grid network to bolster their base supply to be able to absorb this.'

Lutz countered this argument by pointing out that hybrids were in fact introduced to drivers before Tesla came in with a fully-electric car. 

'Tesla came out with all-electric, and all-electric was much more appealing to the environmentally-oriented people and wealthy liberals with a social-change mindset on both the west coast and east coast of the US. And they bought Teslas like they were going out of style,' he said. 

Although he admitted hybrids are expensive, he said they are a good in-between step. 

'For the immediate future, that's the way electrification is going,' he added. 

Ex-Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli said electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs to be a high priority (Pictured in 2009)

To fight climate change, the Biden administration has set out a target to gradually phase out gas cars by 2032

It comes after Edmunds data released last month revealed hybrid cars are being snapped up three times as quickly off dealer lots than electric cars - and twice as quickly as gas cars. 

In February this year, hybrids typically flew off dealer lots within 25 days, Edmunds found, while electric vehicles took an average of 72 days. Gas-powered cars, meanwhile, typically sold after 52 days.

Hybrid vehicles also overtook fully electric and gas cars to lead the way in this year's closely-watched Consumer Reports' top car rankings.

According to research site Edmunds, the vehicles are also now selling twice as quickly as gas cars and three times as quickly as electric cars

Separate research released earlier this month revealed that manufacturers like Ford, GM and Toyota are not meeting the expectations of EV shoppers in four key areas - putting them off from purchasing the cars. 

Shoppers want lower prices, higher ranges, electric SUVs and cars rather than the trucks automakers have focused on, and more EVs from trusted brands like Toyota, according to a poll by Edmunds. 

There is a wide gap between what car shoppers want, and what is actually on sale, it found. 

'The electric vehicle market is growing, but consumers have enough reservations about the current options and charging infrastructure challenges to limit more significant growth in the short term,' said Jessica Caldwell, head of insight at Edmunds. 

Related articles