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 previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200 ... 501 next last
To: MinorityRepublican

“Honestly, 90% of Americans will be fine with EV’s.”That’s a pretty presumptuous statement on your part.What gives you the right to speak for 90% of Americans?You sound like a good little comrade when you speak of going to work then plugging your government designed EV into your charging station. No thanks. I’ll keep my F-350 Tremor with a 6.7 Powerstoke Diesel .


161 posted on 03/08/2021 12:26:53 AM PST by trashiscash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Bulwyf

Even the clueless should have seen the light in the wake of the winter storm and arctic temperatures in Texas. Sadly, our media is all about pushing an agenda, and not facilitating societal debate.


162 posted on 03/08/2021 1:47:45 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: jonascord

The Left wants people dead. The Left want people dead especially before their born. It’d for the children.


163 posted on 03/08/2021 2:05:05 AM PST by Theophilus (Dems fear fear. Christians fear God. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 135 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
A lot of posters on this thread are missing an important point:

EVs are designed for Asian countries where people are packed into cities and don’t travel long distances by car. The auto industry is designing cars for these customers because there are a lot more there than there are in America.

164 posted on 03/08/2021 2:09:44 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("And once in a night I dreamed you were there; I canceled my flight from going nowhere.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TexasGator
The standards are written to allow up to 900 kw in the future.

At 900 kw an average EV would charge in seven minutes.

Allowing is one thing, happening is quite another. The phrases "up to" and "as much as" are among the most dishonest in the English language, and favorites of advertisers seeking to fool customers.

How is the grid going to power clusters of these mythical 900 kw charging stations?

165 posted on 03/08/2021 2:24:11 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Joe Biden: The best president Chinese money can buy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Sounds like you either bought a GM or a German car.

My Toyota is 20 years old and the power windows are both all original and work just fine with 240K on the clock.


166 posted on 03/08/2021 2:25:59 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

They might have a market in urban areas where the average trip is less than 5 miles.

A little less useful on the Great Plains or the mountain West.


167 posted on 03/08/2021 2:34:02 AM PST by lurk ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

I was watching some stupid show where the Tesla gets stuck on a muddy road in the mountains of Montana. It had California license plates.

I thought “Boy - this is a stupid show!”

Later in the same episode it introduced the transgender character... I changed the channel.


168 posted on 03/08/2021 2:45:39 AM PST by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: FreedomPoster

Like much of their pipe dreams it will turn into solyndra


169 posted on 03/08/2021 2:46:34 AM PST by ronnie raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
Electric Vehicles Are the U.S. Auto Industry’s Future—If Dealers Can Figure Out How to Sell Them

Selling them is easy.

It's what happens when they are 20% of the fleet, never mind 80%, and they all plug in at 6 pm or at 8 am that's hard, very hard, SO HARD in fact that this is never, ever going to happen.

170 posted on 03/08/2021 2:48:23 AM PST by Jim Noble (In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2
Out west there is wide open country where you can drive hundreds of miles. How are these electric cars going to handle that?

You are going to be forcibly relocated.

171 posted on 03/08/2021 2:53:38 AM PST by Jim Noble (In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: TexasGator

2 Points: the effective range can be much less than 500 miles and you better be sure there is a plug at the other end of the trip.


172 posted on 03/08/2021 3:01:22 AM PST by Adder ("Can you be more stupid?" is a question, not a challenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

why you DO NOT do Central Planning of an economy or major parts of it.

LOL...yes.

It did wonders with our healthcare system...


173 posted on 03/08/2021 3:06:40 AM PST by Adder ("Can you be more stupid?" is a question, not a challenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: JMS

Oh come on, 30 to 60 minutes waiting for a Super Charger to full charge your electric car is great. Of course that is only if you have the correct connection or adapter.......... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


174 posted on 03/08/2021 3:16:36 AM PST by Lockbox
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun

The point of the whole scam actually...another Soyndra or 2 or 3 is what all the Biden hangers-on are looking for


175 posted on 03/08/2021 3:17:56 AM PST by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you don't understand, no explanation is possible)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 169 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Did you vote correctly? Oh too bad no electricity for your car..... Maybe next time....... maybe


176 posted on 03/08/2021 3:18:51 AM PST by Lockbox
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

PC make believe seems to be dictating a market. This is true insanity.


177 posted on 03/08/2021 3:43:31 AM PST by TalBlack (We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

So was the metric system....LOL


178 posted on 03/08/2021 3:56:29 AM PST by Envisioning (Carry safe, always carry, everyday, everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

While auto makers and dealers rush to expand the EV grid, environmentalists are pushing to shrink the electrical grid’s power generation by pushing solar and wind, while killing coal and gas plants.


179 posted on 03/08/2021 4:10:29 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

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.


With a shrinking power generation grid, you can’t charge anything during a brown or black out due to lack of electrical generation; so your 5 minute charge can last hours or days until the grid comes back.


180 posted on 03/08/2021 4:12:56 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 141-160161-180181-200 ... 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