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When do you think you will buy a 100% pure electric vehicle?

When will you buy a 100% pure electric vehicle?

  • Already Own One

    Votes: 72 8.1%

  • In the next year

    Votes: 7 0.8%

  • Between 1-5 years

    Votes: 163 18.4%

  • 6-10 years

    Votes: 189 21.3%

  • 10+ years or never

    Votes: 455 51.4%
  • Total voters
    886
BryceC said:
This is so frustrating. At one point I thought the massive tariff on Chinese SUV’s made sense. Now that domestic manufacturers have given up we need to start letting BYD and Xiaomi sell here.
Click to expand...
American companies shouldn't be bailed out when they are not making their cars in the U.S. If you want bailouts, 100% of the cars you sell in the U.S., need to be made in the U.S. If China wants to sell in the U.S., they need to do what the Japanese did in the 80's, and build them in the U.S..

Also, why are we still referring to them as the Big Three. Stellantis is not an American company any longer.

Just a reminder: 3 out of the top 20 come from the Big 3.
2025 American-Made Index | Cars.com graphic by Erin Williamson
RankMakeModel
1TeslaModel 3
2TeslaModel Y
3TeslaModel S
4TeslaModel X
5JeepGladiator
6KiaEV6
7HondaRidgeline
8HondaOdyssey
9HondaPassport
10VolkswagenID.4
11AcuraMDX
12HondaPilot
13JeepWrangler
14AcuraRDX
15HondaAccord
16AcuraIntegra
17KiaSportage
18ToyotaCorolla Cross Hybrid
19ChevroletColorado
20NissanPathfinder
 
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How much of the BEV slowdown is actually the fault of dealerships? Nearly half of dealership profits come from the service bay, so there is zero incentive to sell a car that doesn't need regular maintenance. If I own a lot, I'm not going to tell my team to sell a BEV when a gas or hybrid vehicle locks in thousands in future repair revenue. You have to wonder how many customers are talked out of EVs by salespeople just trying to protect their future paychecks.
 
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dmclone said:
How much of the BEV slowdown is actually the fault of dealerships? Nearly half of dealership profits come from the service bay, so there is zero incentive to sell a car that doesn't need regular maintenance. If I own a lot, I'm not going to tell my team to sell a BEV when a gas or hybrid vehicle locks in thousands in future repair revenue. You have to wonder how many customers are talked out of EVs by salespeople just trying to protect their future paychecks.
Click to expand...
The sales people don’t make anything off Service, that would be the owners
 
BryceC said:
This is so frustrating. At one point I thought the massive tariff on Chinese SUV’s made sense. Now that domestic manufacturers have given up we need to start letting BYD and Xiaomi sell here.
Click to expand...
Won't happen under the current administration. It would have been better if the Big 3 would have worked the kinks out instead of jumping ship. IMO.

In the NYT article posted above they mention bringing them in from Mexico does anyone know the in and outs of bringing in stuff from another country while using a second country as a switching point. Do you just go to a dealer and drive it back?
 
NWICY said:
Won't happen under the current administration. It would have been better if the Big 3 would have worked the kinks out instead of jumping ship. IMO.

In the NYT article posted above they mention bringing them in from Mexico does anyone know the in and outs of bringing in stuff from another country while using a second country as a switching point. Do you just go to a dealer and drive it back?
Click to expand...
To legally register and drive any vehicle in the United States, it must pass two strict federal checkpoints:

  1. The DOT (Department of Transportation): The vehicle must comply with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). This dictates everything from crash-test structural integrity to bumper heights, lighting, and safety glass.
  2. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): The engine and exhaust system must meet U.S. emission standards under the Clean Air Act.
Cars built exclusively for the Mexican market—even those manufactured by familiar brands like Chevrolet or Nissan—are not built to these exact specifications and do not have the required U.S. certification labels under the hood and on the door jamb. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) classifies these as "nonconforming" vehicles.

I think there is an exception to this on older vehicles. I remember a few decades ago there being a lot of JDM cars that were like 20 years old that they allowed. Insuring them would probably be another issue.
 
Last edited:
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dmclone said:
American companies shouldn't be bailed out when they are not making their cars in the U.S. If you want bailouts, 100% of the cars you sell in the U.S., need to be made in the U.S. If China wants to sell in the U.S., they need to do what the Japanese did in the 80's, and build them in the U.S..

Also, why are we still referring to them as the Big Three. Stellantis is not an American company any longer.

Just a reminder: 3 out of the top 20 come from the Big 3.
2025 American-Made Index | Cars.com graphic by Erin Williamson
RankMakeModel
1TeslaModel 3
2TeslaModel Y
3TeslaModel S
4TeslaModel X
5JeepGladiator
6KiaEV6
7HondaRidgeline
8HondaOdyssey
9HondaPassport
10VolkswagenID.4
11AcuraMDX
12HondaPilot
13JeepWrangler
14AcuraRDX
15HondaAccord
16AcuraIntegra
17KiaSportage
18ToyotaCorolla Cross Hybrid
19ChevroletColorado
20NissanPathfinder
Click to expand...
They shouldn't be bailed out period!

If they want money from US government, then government should get equity in those businesses. Automakers can buy stock back at later date at market.
 
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dmclone said:
How much of the BEV slowdown is actually the fault of dealerships? Nearly half of dealership profits come from the service bay, so there is zero incentive to sell a car that doesn't need regular maintenance. If I own a lot, I'm not going to tell my team to sell a BEV when a gas or hybrid vehicle locks in thousands in future repair revenue. You have to wonder how many customers are talked out of EVs by salespeople just trying to protect their future paychecks.
Click to expand...
Maybe some. But there are a lot of factors.
  1. Rebates going away. Even in China when subsidies were dropped Jan 1, 2026, China EV sales dropped close to 30% Q1 2026. The US subsidies gave manufacturers a false target cost to build EV's.
  2. Battery "limitations" are real for many people. So once pack ranges commonly reach 400-500 miles and charge times less than 20 minutes. Sales will grow exponentially. Give it 3-5 years.
  3. US market is dominated by trucks & SUV's issues in #2 are even more exaggerated than other countries.
  4. Political
  5. Geography. US is a big country. So long road trips aren't uncommon. If I just look at myself, since late Feb I've made roundtrip drives of: 18, 34 & 11 hours. Batteries & infrastructure need to advance.
IMO some of the concern about US permanently falling behind is overblown. European, Japanese & Korean manufacturers are in no better shape than Ford, GM.

Plus, I don't view vehicles themselves as some crazy piece of tech. The tech is in the manufacturing process, so that's going to determine survival of US companies. So they better be leaning into that right now. With vehicle production 3-5 years out.
 
dmclone said:
To legally register and drive any vehicle in the United States, it must pass two strict federal checkpoints:

  1. The DOT (Department of Transportation): The vehicle must comply with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). This dictates everything from crash-test structural integrity to bumper heights, lighting, and safety glass.
  2. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): The engine and exhaust system must meet U.S. emission standards under the Clean Air Act.
Cars built exclusively for the Mexican market—even those manufactured by familiar brands like Chevrolet or Nissan—are not built to these exact specifications and do not have the required U.S. certification labels under the hood and on the door jamb. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) classifies these as "nonconforming" vehicles.

I think there is an exception to this on older vehicles. I remember a few decades ago there being a lot of JDM cars that were like 20 years old that they allowed. Insuring them would probably be another issue.
Click to expand...
It's 25 years before you can import one. There's a pretty sizable grey market for these things too with several importers specializing in them. Kind of like how you are starting to see the small Japanese kei trucks being imported for sale here now too.
 
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isucy86 said:
  1. Rebates going away. Even in China when subsidies were dropped Jan 1, 2026, China EV sales dropped close to 30% Q1 2026. The US subsidies gave manufacturers a false target cost to build EV's.
Click to expand...
This is very confusing to me on multiple levels.

1. Subsidies in the U.S. were dropped, so China EV sales went down 30%. Please explain.

2. "The US subsidies gave manufacturers a false target cost to build EV's". How so? The only vehicles that the Big 3 that qualified for the tax rebate were:

SUV's only under $55k
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Cadillac Lyriq and Opti
Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV
Jeep Wagoneer S
Trucks only if they were under $80k
Chevrolet Silverado EV
Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
Ford F-150 Lightning

In 2024, these models combined sold 150k units. For comparison, Nissan in 2024 sold 159k Sentra's. Tesla sold 357k model Y's in the U.S. in 2024.

In summary, the Big 3 didn't have a lot of good options. Two years later, GM seems to be the only one that is really moving the needle. Although there are a few other bright spots for Ford. I agree with you on the Japanese, but disagree on the Koreans. If Kia/Hyundai can get past their ICCU issues, they have a lot of great options.

As far as road trips, you're right that for someone like yourself, BEV's will probably never make sense. It's not normal for a person to have 18, 34 & 11 hour road trips in 6 months. For the other 95% of the consumers, who do a couple of 6 hour road trips a year, it makes sense to buy a vehicle for the other 355 days a year when you're not an OTR truck driver. It's similar to people that buy one ton pickups. For those that need the power, they need it. For those that have to carry a TV home from Costco, not so much.
 
dmclone said:
This is very confusing to me on multiple levels.

1. Subsidies in the U.S. were dropped, so China EV sales went down 30%. Please explain.

2. "The US subsidies gave manufacturers a false target cost to build EV's". How so? The only vehicles that the Big 3 that qualified for the tax rebate were:

SUV's only under $55k
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Cadillac Lyriq and Opti
Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV
Jeep Wagoneer S
Trucks only if they were under $80k
Chevrolet Silverado EV
Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
Ford F-150 Lightning

In 2024, these models combined sold 150k units. For comparison, Nissan in 2024 sold 159k Sentra's. Tesla sold 357k model Y's in the U.S. in 2024.

In summary, the Big 3 didn't have a lot of good options. Two years later, GM seems to be the only one that is really moving the needle. Although there are a few other bright spots for Ford. I agree with you on the Japanese, but disagree on the Koreans. If Kia/Hyundai can get past their ICCU issues, they have a lot of great options.

As far as road trips, you're right that for someone like yourself, BEV's will probably never make sense. It's not normal for a person to have 18, 34 & 11 hour road trips in 6 months. For the other 95% of the consumers, who do a couple of 6 hour road trips a year, it makes sense to buy a vehicle for the other 355 days a year when you're not an OTR truck driver. It's similar to people that buy one ton pickups. For those that need the power, they need it. For those that have to carry a TV home from Costco, not so much.
Click to expand...

1. Chinese Govt. also had consumer EV subsidies and dropped on Jan 1, 2026. EV sales in China dropped almost 30percent in Q1. Just shows providing rebates can temporarily grow sales, but once removed there is a transition period because cost is higher. Chinese consumer is no different than US.

2. The EV rebates allowed manufacturers to build, establish margins and sell at an artificially higher price because consumers took into account the rebate when making their breakeven purchase decision between ICE & EV. Take away the rebate and the EV is suddenly more expensive- true in US & China. Unless the manufacturer has the ability to drop prices, which Tesla has done over last few years.

3. Totally disagree that EV's will never make sense for those who make long road trips. EV's just have be comparable to ICE vehicles. My ICE vehicle has 350 miles of range and refuel stops are typically 10-15 minutes. Probably close to the norm for most ICE owners. So if battery range is 400 miles plus and recharge times less than 20 minutes, long road trips isn't an issue.

My bigger issue is I am retired and starting next summer plan to travel a lot offroad. So I'd want a truck with 4x4 and payload can deal with a truck camper. I'll probably have to wait longer than most to buy an EV truck.
 
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dmclone said:
Do you think the owners would have any impact on what the salespeople try to push? Or inventory?
Click to expand...
From experience of managing a dealership and working with the owner, most money comes from fleet so they care about that first. Then they just want to move cars and a good service department will work on cars that others sell. Then throw in that most new dealerships I knew sold the cars that would require high service at the auction.

Now used car dealerships, definitely wanted to work on service.
 
isucy86 said:
1. Chinese Govt. also had consumer EV subsidies and dropped on Jan 1, 2026. EV sales in China dropped almost 30percent in Q1. Just shows providing rebates can temporarily grow sales, but once removed there is a transition period because cost is higher. Chinese consumer is no different than US.

2. The EV rebates allowed manufacturers to build, establish margins and sell at an artificially higher price because consumers took into account the rebate when making their breakeven purchase decision between ICE & EV. Take away the rebate and the EV is suddenly more expensive- true in US & China. Unless the manufacturer has the ability to drop prices, which Tesla has done over last few years.

3. Totally disagree that EV's will never make sense for those who make long road trips. EV's just have be comparable to ICE vehicles. My ICE vehicle has 350 miles of range and refuel stops are typically 10-15 minutes. Probably close to the norm for most ICE owners. So if battery range is 400 miles plus and recharge times less than 20 minutes, long road trips isn't an issue.

My bigger issue is I am retired and starting next summer plan to travel a lot offroad. So I'd want a truck with 4x4 and payload can deal with a truck camper. I'll probably have to wait longer than most to buy an EV truck.
Click to expand...
I’m eyeing the Silverado or Sierra EV as an overlanding rig
 
BCClone said:
From experience of managing a dealership and working with the owner, most money comes from fleet so they care about that first. Then they just want to move cars and a good service department will work on cars that others sell. Then throw in that most new dealerships I knew sold the cars that would require high service at the auction.

Now used car dealerships, definitely wanted to work on service.
Click to expand...
I thought I read that 50% of dealerships(new) profits came from service. Does that sound right?
 
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cycloneG said:
To get a clearer picture of how a dealership makes money, the gross profits generally break down as follows:
    • Service and Parts: ~44% to 50%
    • Finance & Insurance (F&I): ~35% to 37%
    • New and Used Car Sales: ~25% to 30%

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If I look at what I've spent over the last 3 years on service/parts comparing our ICE to our BEV

Kia Telluride-5 service appointments (every 7-8k miles)=~$850 not counting new tires

Tesla-5 tire rotations=~$240. One was done for free at Discount Tire

I don't see how this isn't a huge incentive for the dealerships to sell/carry non-BEV's.
 
dmclone said:
If I look at what I've spent over the last 3 years on service/parts comparing our ICE to our BEV

Kia Telluride-5 service appointments (every 7-8k miles)=~$850 not counting new tires

Tesla-5 tire rotations=~$240. One was done for free at Discount Tire

I don't see how this isn't a huge incentive for the dealerships to sell/carry non-BEV's.
Click to expand...
Brick and mortar dealerships are certainly going to make more money over time selling an ICE. Math don't lie.
 
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