Say, Can Colorado Sell Enough Electric Cars To Hit It’s Goal?

No.

Post over.

Oh, OK

Can Colorado sell enough EVs to hit its climate change goals?

The challenges of convincing automakers to build more electric vehicles and Colorado consumers to buy them comes down to a story of Ford’s traditional show horses, the Mustang and the Bronco.

The 2021 electric version of Ford’s classic Mustang sports car got rave reviews. Enthusiastic Western Slope consumers ordered 13 of them from Glenwood Springs auto dealer Jeff Carlson.

About the same time, Ford announced it would revive its beloved four-wheel-drive Bronco after a 25-year hiatus. An electric or hybrid version might come eventually, but the first rejuvenated Broncos would run on gas.

Glenwood Springs customers ordered 160 of them.

Carlson says he is a fan of recent EV models from multiple manufacturers, and the goal of replacing gas-powered cars. Nevertheless, he says, “I can’t control customer demand.”

That’s the reality facing Gov. Jared Polis, his ambitions to combat climate change, and a legislature pondering its role in goosing EV sales. To meet emissions reduction goals codified in state law, the transportation segment of Polis’ plan calls for nearly 1 million EVs on Colorado roads in less than nine years.

The Mustang EV starts at just under $43,000. A 2021 Bronco starts at $28,500. Which sounds more enticing? Which sounds more affordable?

Colorado can’t just set a goal and hope, whether it’s EVs in question or other climate change fixes, said Kelly Nordini, executive director of Conservation Colorado. That’s why her group and allies are pushing to get more of the greenhouse-gas reduction goals written into law, with hard deadlines.

Well, that sounds more like they want to force people to buy them, despite being unaffordable and impractical for the majority of people. Once again

Beyond that, who’s paying for the EVs? They aren’t cheap, you know. The least expensive out there, excluding the tiny ones like those you rent in places like Bermuda (which makes sense there), is the Mini Cooper SE, with a range of 110 miles and a base price of $30,750. For that kind of money you could get a Honda Accord EXL or the Toyota Camry equivalent, higher end standard sedans, or the same trim levels for the CRV or RAV4. Their hybrid versions aren’t that much more expensive. And will go a lot longer, have a much lower cost of ownership, and much higher residual values.

EVs are toys for rich folks. Who often have a big fossil fueled vehicle for longer trips. Not sure about you, but, I rarely see Teslas when I drive down 40 to Wilmington or going west towards Greensboro or Charlotte. Nor the few times I hit 95 heading north.

Coloradans bought about 220,000 vehicles in 2020. Fewer than 7,500 of those were fully electric, according to new figures from the Colorado Auto Dealers Association.

So, even in Dem voting Colorado they’re having trouble selling them

Skeptics, including dealers, seem to be ignoring the revolution among carmakers, many of whom are pledging to go fully electric in the next few years, Will Toor, director of the state energy office, said.

“I don’t think that they are looking at what’s actually happening in the automobile industry,” Toor said.

Now, dealers are looking at what people actually buy. Honda stopped making the Fit for US sales because they weren’t selling many. Same with other manufacturers and their sub-compacts. This isn’t Field Of Dreams: if you build it they still won’t buy it.

Anyhow, this piece keeps going on and on and on, and even mentions inequality, which, in this case, is true. These are for rich folks, who get tax breaks.

Carlson has chargers available at his Western Slope dealerships, and agrees that building out the network is crucial if EVs are going to take over the market. He says, though, that he’s just not as certain as government and environmental leaders that car shoppers are ready to make big changes, fast.

“The consumer is a wily, wily critter,” Carlson said. “And the government thinks that they can tell the wily critter what to do.”

Yes, they do. And they will force you. To end up buying a scooter because you can’t afford an EV and don’t want to spend 2 hours on buses when your normal commute is 15 minutes.