Dealers Finally Have EV Inventory But Now Lack Buyers
We’ve been hearing about the rise of electric vehicles for years, but while they are growing rapidly in number, there’s still a disconnect between an auto industry hell-bent on electrification and the desires of the people they rely on to buy new cars. Axios recently highlighted the issue and found that dealers have EV inventory sitting on their lots for extended periods, suggesting that supply is significantly outpacing demand.
Part of the issue with some EV models is their sky-high price tags, and the most expensive models aren’t eligible for government tax credits. Cox Automotive surveyed buyers, finding that 51 percent are considering a new or USED EV, but that hasn’t dented dealers’ supply, as electric models have an average of 92 days of supply across the country. That’s twice the industry average and the opposite of gas vehicle supply, which is somewhat low at 54 days.
Though EV sales seem to be dragging, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are hot commodities. Some models, such as the Toyota RAV4 Prime, have extremely low inventory levels, while hybrids have an average of 44 days of supply. As Axios pointed out, the numbers indicate that Toyota’s multi-pronged approach, which incorporates hybrids and other technologies to reduce emissions, rather than a full shift to electric vehicles is the way to go. That said, EV prices are becoming more reasonable, and analysts expect them to reach price parity with gas vehicles by 2025, so these numbers could look very different in a year or two.
Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I'm on my second Leaf SL. Perfect grocery getter. It's tossable and reasonably fun to drive. The self driving features are decent too. I also have a large gas SUV for those days when a large SUV is needed.
I went to the BMW dealership last weekend to look at the 2024 X5 and the sales person said they were offering massive discounts on the iX since it wasn't moving at the MSRP. But gas X5s were not being discounted.
@master baiter Thanks! That's exactly the reason I didn't buy the iX.
it's kinda vague how they lump all EV's as being in inventory now - and showing a pic of a bolt, because, guess what - i can't get a bolt unless i special order it now (nor are they any just sitting waiting because they FLY out the door!) - so, essentially this article is an opinion piece on the real article at Axios which is much more informative.