“Next Big Flop”: Economist from FreedomWorks Predicts Challenges for Electric Vehicles in Auto Market
Stephen Moore, a senior economist at FreedomWorks and former senior economic adviser to President Donald Trump, has made a bleak forecast for the electric vehicle (EV) market, predicting that EVs are on track to become the automakers’ “next big flop.”
FreedomWorks
Moore drew parallels with the failed rollout of the Ford Edsel in the late 1950s, emphasizing that pushing cars onto a public that doesn’t want them is a recipe for failure. Despite the Biden administration’s push for EVs, recent studies have shown that less than 10% of new car sales over the past two years were electric.
Market research firm Canalys reported a 49% increase in global EV sales in the first half of the year, down from the previous year’s 63% growth rate. Notably, executives at General Motors, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have acknowledged weakening demand for EVs, leading to a reassessment of their EV targets.
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has expressed skepticism about the full-scale adoption of EVs, stating that waning demand indicates people are realizing that EVs are not a silver bullet against carbon emissions.
While some auto manufacturers are scaling back their electrification plans, President Joe Biden has set a goal for 50% of all new vehicles by 2030 to be either EVs or plug-in hybrids. However, challenges such as range anxiety and a lack of charging infrastructure pose significant hurdles to widespread EV adoption. The industry’s response to these concerns will play a crucial role in determining the success or failure of EVs in the coming years.
