Car dealerships in US urge Joe Biden to slam brakes on EVs. Here's their reason

The United States wants to be a formidable leader when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) and while the country has a relatively high share of battery-powered mobility options when compared to many other countries of the world, it is still significantly behind China. President Joe Biden has made no secrets of his plans to popularise EV manufacturing as well as purchase but not everyone is quite taken with his views and plans.

As many as 4,000 car dealerships across the US have come together to caution the Biden administration against its plans of accelerating EV adoption in the country. In a letter sent directly to Biden, the dealerships express their concern against a US Environmental Protection Agency Plan to have around 60 per cent of all new car sales in the country coming from EVs.

The appeal in the letter highlights that such a move could be a bit too drastic and that a more gradual approach to popularise EVs may be a better strategy instead. Pointing to potential challenges faced by the current crop of EV owners - ranging from lack of adequate charging points and stations to the rather expensive purchase price of EVs, the dealerships say they are witnessing a growing stockpile of such vehicles. “These vehicles are ideal for many people, and we believe their appeal will grow over time. The reality, however, is that electric vehicle demand today is not keeping up with the large influx of BEVs arriving at our dealerships prompted by the current regulations. BEVs are stacking up on our lots," the appeal states.

Change in approach to take EVs to more customers

The dealerships in the appeal highlight that there should be an increased focus on allowing battery technology to advance before having a defined timeline for a certain percentage of all car sales coming from EV sales. Underlining that the intention is not to favour conventional vehicles over EVs, or vice-versa, the appeal further says that factors such as charging infrastructure and a more realistic purchase price must go hand-in-hand.

EVs at present account for around eight per cent of all new vehicles' sales in the US. This is a decent share but still quite small when compared to China where this is at around 22 per cent.