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kevinqiyesterday at 9:32 PM4 repliesview on HN

does anyone have a data-backed reason as to why US market share has capped out around 10%? is it economics + lack of access to chinese EVs? range anxiety?


Replies

jfengelyesterday at 9:48 PM

We have just about the cheapest gasoline in the developed world. Partly because we make it here, and partly because we refuse to raise taxes on it. (The federal tax was last raised in 1993. It has be 18 cents per gallon ever since.)

If gas were 2 to 4 times as expensive, as it is in much of Europe, there would be a lot more demand for electric cars.

It doesn't help that we exclude all of the new BEVs from China, which are considerably less expensive.

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asdffyesterday at 10:05 PM

I’d guess a greater percent of car owners in the US are working class. A lot of cities car modal share is like 85% or higher which shows how much car ownership is democratized in the US compared to asia or eu, where ownership might be higher relative income and more able to afford new ev premium prices vs cheap used gas cars.

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coliveirayesterday at 9:43 PM

EVs continue to be expensive in the US. But the trajectory is the opposite in the rest of the world due to the benefit of Chinese exports. In Brazil, for example, new car prices have a now a discount of up to $10K, all due to increased competition from China.

nickezyesterday at 9:43 PM

probably gas price

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