(The Center Square) – About 4,000 auto dealers from all 50 states have signed a letter to President Joe Biden saying electric vehicles are “stacking up on our lots” as the demand for electric cars has “stalled.”
“BEVs [battery electric vehicles] are stacking up on our lots,” the auto dealers stated in the letter. “Last year, there was a lot of hope and hype about EVs. Early adopters formed an initial line and were ready to buy these vehicles as soon as we had them to sell. But that enthusiasm has stalled. Today, the supply of unsold BEVs is surging, as they are not selling nearly as fast as they are arriving at our dealerships – even with deep price cuts, manufacturer incentives, and generous government incentives.”
The letter stated: “Mr. President, it is time to tap the brakes on the unrealistic government electric vehicle mandate. Allow time for the battery technology to advance. Allow time to make BEVs more affordable. Allow time to develop domestic sources for the minerals to make batteries. Allow time for the charging infrastructure to be built and prove reliable. And most of all, allow time for the American consumer to get comfortable with the technology and make the choice to buy an electric vehicle.”
There are 18,230 light vehicle dealerships in the United States.
The Sierra Club is the largest leading grassroots environmental organization focused on promoting green energy and the healing power of nature. The group conducted surveys throughout several dealerships across all 50 states.
The Sierra Club said the U.S. auto industry is “largely” failing to meet consumer demands when it involves electric vehicles.
In May, the Sierra Club did an investigation of car dealerships and their sales of EVs.
While electric vehicles did exceed 5% of new car sales in 2022, and eventually reaching 10% by the end of the year according to the surveys, still 66% of dealerships did not have electric vehicles available for purchase, leaving only 34% of dealerships with available electric vehicles for sale.
“We are in a climate crisis and at a major inflection point for the American electric vehicle industry, and yet automakers are still pumping out millions of gas-powered vehicles while they lag on their EV commitments,” said Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine Garcia in a media release.
Others are not convinced there is an appetite for more EVs.
“Despite taxpayer-funded subsidies that artificially reduce costs, consumer demand for EVs persistently lags supply, and the vehicles sit on lots longer than gas- and diesel-powered cars,” American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle, a founding member of the Save Our Cars Coalition said in a statement. “By speaking out, hopefully, these auto dealers will be able to help persuade the administration that American families should have the freedom to buy the vehicle that best suits their budget and lifestyle while encouraging fair competition in the automotive industry.”
Another well thought out, moronic, idiotic “plan” by the disgusting, dispicable dem-rats.
How much $$ did this asinine concept cost the taxpayers?
The free market is a merciless corrector of any who try to steal it’s freedoms. Forcing people to buy certain unwanted products after forcing them to accept unwanted government interference never works out for the American consumer. The real estate crash of 2006 should have taught these economic Obamanite failures, but they just continue to double down on thier divided party to turn same Americans against each other in the fight for the remaining spoils of diminishing socialist redistributed wealth, most of which under Biden just end up in the worng hands of the enriched party leaders
“Mr. corrupt, sock-puppet President, it is time to tap the brakes on the unrealistic government electric vehicle mandate. “
Maybe you can give them to the 10 million illegal immigrants that YOU are supporting with our tax dollars!
CAN THEY even drive?
I suspect it is probably on par with the old “cash for clunkers” plan during the Obama Administration. That plan was a serious abuse of our federal tax dollars with little value to the citizens of this country. The elected officials from the urban areas have little understanding of life in rural America and attempt to force their ideas on “flyover country” with no regard to the impact of their decisions.
Not just that, but as i heard one guy ask
“Since the govt GAVE all these millions TO the automakers to push through this insanity, NOW ITS NOT SELLING, will those automakers be forced to give it BACK?”
To all of you low IQ Democrat voters, great job electing these feckless, useless Dem politicians.
Now go buy your mandated EV, plan a cross country road trip with a special needs child.
Never mind stopping at a regular gas station, find an EV charging area, and good luck waiting in line then taking 2 to 8 hours for a full charge while your special needs child is screaming bloody murder!
You assume they will bother treking even 3+ hrs on the road, rather than FLY?
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…
People don’t need additional incentives to do things that are already economically viable/sustainable. If the guvmint is offering (taxpayer) money to convince people to buy EVs, install windmills, solar panels, etc., it’s a safe bet those things aren’t good investments.
Also worth noting that typical warranty on ev battery is 8 yrs (per fed govt but CA is 10 yrs ) or 100-150k miles whichever comes first.
Cost to rebuild or replace ev battery is minimum $5k but online shows new battery cost for 6 most common ev’s, excluding Tesla, is minimum $10k for Chevy Bolt up to $27k for Volkswagen, excluding the labor from $1200 to $3000. Rebuilt ev battery costs from $5k to.$18k.
Cost to replace most common 4 cyl engine with brand new factory engine is $5k plus $1200 to $3000 labor at dealership. And cost for like new rebuilt engine is cheaper.
I know people who have put 200k plus miles on their gas powered cars without having to replace / rebuild the engine.
The typical 8 yr / $100k max ev warranty is less years & mileage than the avg person will keep their gas cars without having to worry about $10k plus repairs.
There are also many exclusions on ev battery.warranty that leaves owner holding the bag for the horrendous cost of replacement.
So far ev cars are not worth the over time battery degradation cost or recharging inconvenience for the avg American.
AND I know quite a few who HAVE torn their engines apart, and rebuilt them, THEMSELVES.. For a lot cheeper.
BUT with the way these EV’s are, can anyone do that at home?
President Donald J. Trump said to the Auto worker Union , because of the EV mandates auto workers will be out of a job in a few years ! Also think of the billions of Dollars it will cost the auto companies to retool back to Gas powered Cars !