Despite the general consensus that electric vehicles (EVs) represent the environmentally beneficial future of the automobile industry, automakers are becoming more and more concerned about the state of EVs. Major automakers are starting to be more open about the difficulties and obstacles they encounter in the EV industry, which has led to some of them cutting back on their investments in this technology. The biggest warning flag of all was sent by the US automaker General Motors (GM), which declared recently that it was giving up on its aggressive EV production goals.
At a recent earnings call, GM disclosed that it would no longer pursue its goal of building 100,000 EVs in the second half of the year and 400,000 by the first half of 2024. The company did not provide new targets, leading to uncertainty surrounding its EV production future. GM cited various challenges, including a month-long strike by factory workers and setbacks in its robotaxi division, Cruise, as contributing factors to its conservative projections.
GM is not alone in its worries; other automakers are also experiencing pressure. Mercedes-Benz revealed a decline in third-quarter earnings, attributing difficulties to supply chain problems and pricing reductions. They did, however, stress how dedicated they were to meeting their EV goals. Conversely, Honda made the strategic decision to rescind its ambitions to introduce a cost-effective range of electric vehicles. According to Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, the industry is being forced to face facts about the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and how important they are to reaching carbon-neutral targets.
It’s crucial to remember that EV sales are still rising, having increased by 51% in the first half of 2023. What worries manufacturers, though, is that this growth is happening more slowly than it did during the sharp 71 percent increase that was seen in the second half of 2022. Furthermore, as of July, the average price gap between electric cars (EVs) and conventional gas-powered automobiles in the US was over $4,000.
Although it might be too soon to declare EV technology dead, the fact that automakers are expressing reservations begs the question of the difficulties and unknowns they are facing. It’s evident that there will be challenges on the path to a completely electrified automotive future, and the business community is currently attempting to navigate these obstacles. Nevertheless, it’s feasible that EVs will become more and more important in the automobile industry in the years to come as economies of scale are achieved and technology advances.