- Even in California, where electric-car sales are far higher than in the rest of the US, consumers are unaware of the vehicles.
- Overall awareness hasn't budged since 2014, researchers at UC Davis have found.
- They recommend increased marketing and consumer education.
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Automakers are betting big on electric cars — but there's a lingering problem with EVs no one is talking about
Even in California, where EVs are relatively more popular and charging stations are more widespread, electrified cars add up to just 5% of sales.
The electric car has a marketing problem.
This will come as shocking news to anyone who has followed the steady stream of new electric-vehicle debuts and concept car reveals, or who has kept track of the adventures of Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, or who has watched as government policymakers have set targets for the elimination of gas-powered vehicles.
It won't come as a shock to anyone who has looked at the numbers, which are not in EVs' favor. Globally, sales of electrified car make up only about 1% of the annual total.
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A lot of auto-industry observers think that could change in the coming decades. But they might be expecting too much. That's the upshot of some new research from the University of California, Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies. Academics Ken Kurani and Scott Hardman summarized some recently findings in a blog post ("PEV" stands for "plug-in electric vehicle):
ngage the whole sales chain," focusing on "automobile dealer education and motivation programs."
That's a good idea. Dealers aren't terribly motivated to sell EVs, largely because of all the reasons that
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