As a dealer, I’ve long understood one of the most basic tenets to running a successful retail operation: Listen to your customers! You may have opinions about what is reasonable for them to expect, and what is fair for them to pay, but at the end of the day you need to meet their needs or risk watching them walk out the door.
Pretty straightforward, right? Apparently not for the U.S. government, which for years has attempted to force manufacturers into building, and consumers into buying, electric vehicles. Up until now the government hasn’t listened to American citizens, and dealers, who share valid concerns about the range and price of these vehicles, as well as the nation’s splintered EV charging infrastructure.
Even as consumer demand for hybrids has grown, the White House and the EPA have instead focused on pushing sales of all-electric vehicles. Last year’s aggressive new tailpipe emissions proposal would have required as much as 67 percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2033 to be all-electric. Currently, EV make up just 7.6 percent of total U.S. new vehicle sales. Clearly, politicians don’t want to listen to consumers, especially when those consumers’ wishes don’t align with their policy agendas.
On Wednesday, the EPA released it final vehicle emissions rule, a slightly toned-down version of last year’s proposal. Under this new rule, the government will require that 56 percent of all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the U.S. be all-electric by 2032. Another 16 percent will need to be hybrid vehicles. While a slight improvement over the original proposal, this rule remains overly aggressive and optimistic about the American people’s willingness to embrace a technology that is both expensive and challenging to charge.
Unfortunately, the U.S. government has not laid the groundwork to make EVs appealing to the majority of the American public: those who lack access to charging stations, those who can’t afford the high price tag of EVs, and those whose long commutes make electric powered journeys too risky. Electric vehicles might be the clear choice for some drivers, but not for all drivers. And that’s why giving both the auto industry and consumers a long runway to meet these lofty new tail pipe emission goals is wise.
With more time, we can expect both battery and charging technologies to improve and prices to normalize. Until then, dealers will continue to advocate for a path forward based on common sense and consumer choice.
Anthony Brownlee
2024 AIADA Chairman
Chairman’s Blog: Brownlee Speaks Out
AIADA Chairman Anthony Brownlee offers up a dealer's perspective on the 2024 auto retail industry.
