In Europe, it is clear that the Old Continent has smaller cities than the United States, making us familiar with smaller vehicles. But in America, the best-selling vehicles have typically been pickup trucks like the Cybertrack and Ford F150 Raptor. However, electric cars are expected to change everything, at least the latest JD Power report asserts. The report claims that country limitations and price boundaries determine what buyers want or can afford. So, why are more small electric cars being sold than large electric cars in the U.S., and is the EV changing this trend?
Brands like Tesla are selling many cars in the U.S., but we have seen that the momentum is slowing down. Both in Europe and in the United States, dealerships have excess stock, forcing manufacturers to shut down factories to adapt. What do people in the USA need to stimulate EV adoption? Something very similar to what is happening in Europe.
Can the U.S. see the end of big car fever and shift towards small, inexpensive electric cars?
A thermal car is much cheaper than the same model in pure electric form. In fact, in the U.S., and according to the report, the best-selling vehicles are compact crossovers. This segment has the largest market share with 16.5%, followed by compact SUVs with 6%.
What happens when we look at premium compact SUVs? The total percentage drops to 6.5% of sales, but surprisingly, half of them are electric. Since the U.S. market is dominated by SUVs and crossovers, the similarities with Europe are significant because SUVs still dominate the European market, particularly compact SUVs.
What does the report say about what users expect and want? It says that 29.2% of Americans claim they are very likely to buy an electric car as their next vehicle, and the percentage is increasing. However, they face the same obstructions we do, albeit in different measures.
Why are EVs not selling more in the U.S.?
With a generally higher standard of living than Europe and cities designed for larger vehicles, the reported figures are surprising. The report identifies several key reasons.
Americans fear electric cars due to several factors, the first being the inability to charge them at home, which affects a third of the country – a statement that seems ridiculous considering most European cities primarily have apartment-style living as opposed to single-family homes.
Moreover, most apartment dwellers do not have their own garages making EV adoption even more difficult than for Americans. Where Europe has a slight advantage is in terms of public and private charging infrastructure. The U.S. lags behind, while Europe has made more progress.
Lastly, Americans complain about the decrease in efficiency during cold weather and the consequent power outages in many parts of the country caused by frost. For this reason, President Biden plans to spend over $3 billion on electric infrastructure, a move that Europe has already made, although improvements are still necessary.
In summary, the U.S. is opting for smaller electric cars in the premium range for the first time to achieve greater autonomy, while in Europe, we continue our existing trend towards compact SUVs, now with mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid options because pure electric vehicles are unaffordable for the majority of countries.
Does the expensive electric car have a future? According to the survey, no. Chinese manufacturers are eager to establish themselves in countries like ours, while giants like Volkswagen (particularly Audi) are struggling to figure out what to do and how to do it.
The conclusion is that electric car manufacturers need to create affordable, small models for the EV market to succeed in the United States.
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