Biden talks up electric vehicle revolution – but is America ready to give up gas?
Fresh off signing legislation aimed at propelling the nation’s electric vehicle (EV) transition, Joe Biden was in Detroit last week to reaffirm his support for electrification ahead of the opening of the US’s largest annual car show.
“The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified, whether you’re driving along the coast, or on I-75 here in Michigan,” he declared as the first North American International Auto Show since 2019 prepared to open its doors.
Electric vehicles are the stars of this year’s show, which opens to the public on Saturday. But behind the glimmering showroom prototypes and lofty promises, real questions about the US’s electric vehicle ambitions remain.
At the press preview of the Detroit show, getting reads on the state of the US’s EV transition from analysts, officials, the president, and automakers is like administering a Rorschach test. Many praise automakers’ bold electrification goals, but others are skeptical after years of failed promises and low sales. Some hailed the federal government’s moves, while others say the president’s administration has not gone far enough.
Even Biden seemed to reveal mixed feelings as he test drove an electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV: “It’s a beautiful car, but I love the Corvette,” he said.
Like the president, most Detroit auto show attendees still prefer, and will next buy, a gas-powered car, even if the EVs are the event’s most hyped, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Cox Automotive.
“It’s those flashy, glitzy vehicles that get the attention, and those just happen to be electric right now,” she said. “The EVs get more attention than the numbers that are sold.”
Opinions on the EV transition also partly depend on how one slices and dices the sales
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