Future of electric cars still promising, despite high costs and lagging infrastructure: Car makers
Electric vehicle manufacturers have been facing slowing demand and growing competition in recent months.

FILE PHOTO: Hummer EV are seen on the production line as U.S. President Joe Biden tours the General Motors 'Factory ZERO' electric vehicle assembly plant, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
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NEW YORK: The future of electric vehicles is promising, even if there are some bumps along the road to get there, said car makers and industry experts.
This comes as EV manufacturers face growing competition and slowing demand in recent months.
In the United States, the Biden administration announced a rule last month for the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold to be all-electric or hybrids by 2032. The new tailpipe pollution limits rule is expected to transform the American automobile market.
But car makers cautioned that without consumers buying these vehicles, the transition to a greener auto industry could be slower than expected.
MAKING EVs AFFORDABLE FOR ALL
One challenge is the cost of EVs, which continues to be prohibitive for many consumers.
The average EV sells for nearly US$5,000 more than the median petrol car, according to automotive services and technology provider Cox Automotive.
National Automobile Dealers Association president and CEO Mike Stanton said while there is “early adopter success”, there is still some way to go.
"We're not there yet. We've got a ways to go, especially when you consider the more disadvantaged communities, lower income Americans. We need to make these vehicles affordable for all,” he noted.
Besides the higher cost of owning an EV, consumers are concerned about the charging infrastructure. Drivers without a private garage rely on public charging points.
While there may be more of such charging points popping up now, it is not enough to move the needle on EV adoption, said Ms Elizabeth Krear, vice-president of electric vehicle practice at consumer intelligence firm JD Power.
“Even with the efforts made to improve infrastructure, the number of EVs on the road are increasing at 2.5 times the pace of EV charger installation. And this is contributing to continued poor customer satisfaction with public charging. These issues have resulted in a decline of EV shopping and interest for five consecutive months,” she added.

MANY CONSUMERS STILL PICKING GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLES
High costs and lagging infrastructure are a global trend, said observers.
China, the world’s biggest EV market, is also facing a slowdown in domestic demand.
This has led to a push from the Chinese government for automakers to expand overseas, sparking fears that imported cars could end up hurting Europe and America’s own automotive industries.
Observers said the various governments will have to address the concerns over price, infrastructure and range, if they hope to speed up EV adoption.
But organisers at the recent New York International Auto Show, which ran from Mar 29 to Apr 7, are confident that the industry will be able to navigate these tricky conditions.
“The approach to getting to electrification might be taking somewhat different roads between China and the United States,” said Mr Mark Schienberg, president of the New York International Auto Show.
“But I think we're all heading in the same direction.”
For now, many consumers are still picking gasoline-powered vehicles, even though there are more electric car choices available, said EV manufacturers.
Ford Motor, for instance, is among several car giants to delay, or even cut, EV production in the US.
While its EV sales may have jumped 86 per cent in the first three months of the year, traditional petrol vehicles continue to be its most popular products, said the company.
“There's a lot of growing pains with the new segment being created, new Powertrain choices,” said Mr Tom Somerville, marketing director at Ford Enthusiast Vehicles.
“It's different from anything else that the industry has ever seen. And realistically, there are always going to be bumps in situations like this.”