I went to the LA Auto Show recently, and much has changed in the world of EVs since my first trip in 2015. There are many more models of EVs now available or coming soon, and also quite a few presentations from car company executives, promising even more electric options in the future. But a look at the latest sales figures for EVs shows a markedly different picture, with most of the sales (and growth in sales) coming from Tesla, a company that wasn’t even on the main floor at the auto show. EV sales from traditional automakers have been flat for the last three years. What should we make of this divergence between a growing number of EV models and sales that aren’t seeing the same growth? It seems clear to me that this disconnect is due to many automakers that are technically offering EVs but are doing little to improve their design and sell them. And this disconnect needs to be fixed now if we want to try to limit the worst impacts of climate change.
