Reality check on electric cars

[Poor Richard Saunders]

Actually, EV sales have fallen in the US and by big amounts.

America's EV Sales Fell By Nearly A Third, But Toyota Jumped 79% | Carscoops

EV sales in the US in the first quarter are down 27 percent compared to last year

www.carscoops.com

EV bloodbath: US sales plunge as Tesla tightens its grip

US EV sales plunge 27% in Q1 2026, with Tesla holding 54% share. Most automakers struggle, while Toyota posts rare growth.

www.businessinsider.com

New EV sales drop 28% in Q1 2026, but used EVs surge 12% to near-record levels

New EV sales fell 28% to 212,600 in Q1 2026 after tax credit expiration, but used EV sales jumped 12% to 93,500 units as prices near parity with gas cars.

electrek.co

Did they fall by 800% like the price of eggs?

But once again, TA proves he didn't bother to read his own sources which contradict him.

It was inevitable that sales of new EVs would slide in the US after the Trump administration axed the long-standing $7,500 federal tax credit at the end of September. New data shows that sales fell off a cliff in the final quarter of last year, but they’ve since started to somewhat stabilize, indicating we may have hit a new normal.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Did they fall by 800% like the price of eggs?

But once again, TA proves he didn't bother to read his own sources which contradict him.

It was inevitable that sales of new EVs would slide in the US after the Trump administration axed the long-standing $7,500 federal tax credit at the end of September. New data shows that sales fell off a cliff in the final quarter of last year, but they’ve since started to somewhat stabilize, indicating we may have hit a new normal.

Trivial objections fallacy. Prices fell by up to 30%. That's a major drop for the sale of a vehicle. That's the sort of thing you see when some manufacturer comes out with a total porker of a loser model of vehicle and has to unload it at cost or at a loss just get some money back on it.

Of course ending subsidies on EV's would tank the market. That was all that was propping it up. EV's had no chance of making major inroads into the automotive market on their own. That's as true in China or Norway as it is in the US. They just are not that popular a choice. What you are seeing is EV's settling into the niche market they have always been. They'll sit at 5 to 10% of sales and that's pretty much where they'll stay unless government puts its thumb back on the scale.

 

[Poor Richard Saunders]

Trivial objections fallacy. Prices fell by up to 30%. That's a major drop for the sale of a vehicle. That's the sort of thing you see when some manufacturer comes out with a total porker of a loser model of vehicle and has to unload it at cost or at a loss just get some money back on it.

Of course ending subsidies on EV's would tank the market. That was all that was propping it up. EV's had no chance of making major inroads into the automotive market on their own. That's as true in China or Norway as it is in the US. They just are not that popular a choice. What you are seeing is EV's settling into the niche market they have always been. They'll sit at 5 to 10% of sales and that's pretty much where they'll stay unless government puts its thumb back on the scale.

I quote your article and you call it a trivial objection? WTF????

By the way ALL car sales are down about 20% so the fact that EV sales are down 27% isn't that much of an outlier.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I quote your article and you call it a trivial objection? WTF????

You took one paragraph out of context and make that the central thesis of your rebuttal. I explained why what that paragraph said happened and the most obvious result. EV's cannot compete in the market without sustained subsidies and disadvantages slapped on ICE vehicles by government. They otherwise remain a small, niche market.

By the way ALL car sales are down about 20% so the fact that EV sales are down 27% isn't that much of an outlier.

That's not what the statistics say

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/trends-that-will-shape-2026-car-market-edmunds-insights.html#:~:text=New-vehicle%20sales%20are%20expected%20to%20reach%2016%20million,a%20market%20operating%20at%20a%20more%20sustainable%20pace.?msockid=1a41b2c074676825071da5fc759d69d8

The Biggest Winners and Losers in Auto Sales in Q1 2026

Car sales struggled in the first quarter of the year, but there were still a few bright spots for Ram's trucks and Toyota's EVs.

www.caranddriver.com

 

[Poor Richard Saunders]

You took one paragraph out of context and make that the central thesis of your rebuttal. I explained why what that paragraph said happened and the most obvious result. EV's cannot compete in the market without sustained subsidies and disadvantages slapped on ICE vehicles by government. They otherwise remain a small, niche market.

I took an entire article that contradicted your claim.



Actually, EV sales have fallen in the US and by big amounts.



It seems you are now admitting that EVs are a similar percentage of overall sales to what they were last year.

That's not what the statistics say

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/trends-that-will-shape-2026-car-market-edmunds-insights.html#:~:text=New-vehicle%20sales%20are%20expected%20to%20reach%2016%20million,a%20market%20operating%20at%20a%20more%20sustainable%20pace.?msockid=1a41b2c074676825071da5fc759d69d8

The Biggest Winners and Losers in Auto Sales in Q1 2026

Car sales struggled in the first quarter of the year, but there were still a few bright spots for Ram's trucks and Toyota's EVs.

www.caranddriver.com

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Car sales struggled in the first quarter of the year,

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I took an entire article that contradicted your claim.

You used one paragraph.

Actually, EV sales have fallen in the US and by big amounts.

They have

It seems you are now admitting that EVs are a similar percentage of overall sales to what they were last year.

No, I am not. I am saying that your claim overall car sales are significantly down is wrong. They are flat, about the same. Only EV sales saw a big drop across that market segment.

Car sales struggled in the first quarter of the year,

"Struggled" =/= fell significantly. They were almost flat. 16 million vs. 16.3 million the previous year with much of the drop being in the EV market.