This will be a challenge, some experts say, but isn’t really as hard as it might seem. Battery-powered vehicle sales, including both all-electric and plug-in hybrids, are expected to make up just 4.3% of all vehicles sold in the US this year, according to IHS Markit.
“No one really wants to be seen as the holdout or the dinosaur, the one that’s fighting this progress,” she said.
As it is, 32% of all US cars sold in 2030 are expected to be fully electric, according to a June 2021 forecast by IHS Markit. Another 4.2% are expected to be plug-in hybrids.
“So, there’s work to do,” said Lea Malloy, a mobility analyst with Cox Automotive. She noted a number of areas, such electric car charging infrastructure and more public education about EVs, could use help.
The government has already done a good bit to push EV sales, said Derek Jones, director for mobility solutions at the consulting company Guidehouse.
Besides including increased spending on electric vehicle charging stations in a proposed infrastructure bill, the Biden administration also announced a commitment to purchase electric vehicles for government fleets. The government maintains large fleets of cars and trucks and that kind of commitment, on its own, can help provide confidence in automakers, said Jones, who said he has been working with the government on those plans.
Plug-in hybrids are expected to remain a small part of overall plug-in vehicle sales, as they are today, said Jones. Still, having them in the mix makes it easier to attract consumers who might be uneasy committing to driving on battery power alone.
Source : Nbcnewyork
