The electric vehicle race is becoming increasingly fierce US media: the pressure of car companies lies in convincing consumers

The reference news network reported on January 24 that the electric vehicle race has been heating up as Detroit has begun to take action.

According to the US "Wall Street Journal" website recently reported that the electric vehicle race is becoming increasingly fierce. Both Ford and General Motors have introduced new electric pickups. Other automakers are also preparing to launch a series of new electric models this year and next.

Over the past few years, auto executives have been talking about their grand plans to invest billions of dollars in new projects to increase production of electric vehicles on production lines around the world. But so far, this transformation has mostly happened behind the scenes — automotive engineers and designers are preparing for the next generation of cars.

In the coming year, car buyers will begin to see this effort more in the dealership segment. Analysts at Bank of America say the automaker plans to launch dozens of new electric vehicles in different styles and price points over the next two years.

The advent of these electric vehicles will shift the pressure on auto companies from developing electric vehicles to convincing consumers to buy electric vehicles.

Carlos Tavares, CEO of global automaker Plantis, said at the Consumer Electronics Show not long ago: "A new world is coming. "Now, the machine has started, and we're moving fast." ”

Ford recently said that due to the upcoming F-150 "Lightning" electric pickup bookings exceeding expectations, the company decided to increase its production by nearly 1 times. The truck will be on sale in limited quantities this spring.

General Motors unveiled a competing electric truck, an electric version of the best-selling Chevrolet Sorod. The company's chief executive, Mary Barra, listed nearly 10 electric vehicles that will be available in the next two years, while only two are currently on the market.

Plantis, which owns Jeep, Dodge and other car brands, recently said that by 2028, the nearly 100-year-old Chrysler brand will be fully electrified. The company also revealed that it has signed a sales agreement with Amazon for the mini-electric van, which will make the company a competitor to the US-based Rivian Motors, which has also signed a sales agreement for the mini-electric van with the e-tailer.

A spokeswoman for Rivian Automotive said the competition from Strantis was good news for the industry as a whole, that Rivian's partnership with Amazon was intact and that the company was thriving.

The transition to electrification is intensifying competition between traditional automakers and new players, who are gradually moving into the more than a century-old automotive industry.

Traditional automakers such as GM, Volkswagen, and Toyota have deeper pockets, better supply chains, and automotive manufacturing expertise that helps redesign their product lines.

But until recently, investors were betting on Tesla and other startups that specialize in electric cars. In recent years, these companies have raised billions of dollars and are not subject to capital constraints because they do not need to retrofit their businesses built primarily on fuel engines. As of the close of the US stock market on January 7, local time, Tesla's market value has exceeded $1 trillion, and it is currently the world's highest market capitalization car manufacturer.

Still, neither old or new automakers have been able to convince consumers to abandon fuel vehicles altogether.

The U.S. "Automotive Intelligence" company said that although electric vehicle sales are on the rise, with an increase of 88% year-on-year in 2021, its proportion in the U.S. automotive market is still only about 3.2%.

Tesla has an absolute lead over its competitors. Last year, the company's global deliveries increased by 87 percent to about 986,000 units.

Automotive Intelligence estimates that tesla will sell about 352,500 cars in the U.S. alone in 2021, or about 72 percent of the total number of electric vehicles sold in the U.S. market. Tesla did not announce deliveries in various regions.

By comparison, Ford sold about 27,000 electric vehicles in the U.S. in 2021, and GM sold about 25,000 electric vehicles in the U.S. For both companies, electric vehicles account for less than 2 percent of their total sales in the U.S. market.

The report also said that although the U.S. government has introduced tax breaks to increase the attractiveness of electric vehicles to consumers, it is still difficult for many car buyers to choose electric vehicles, in part because charging stations are not common and the price of fuel vehicles is more affordable.

Ryan Greymore, president of O'Brien Motor Team in Illinois, said, "We have a lot of conversations about electric vehicles. But that doesn't attract consumers to come into the store and say, 'I have to buy one.'" ”

Such market sentiment has not dampened the ambitions of the automotive industry to transform to electrification. Auto executives say they need to have more zero-emission vehicles in their showrooms to meet stricter air pollution regulations around the world.

As more options emerge, so do car buyers' considerations. In August, a survey conducted by U.S. consulting firm Alex Partners found that 19 percent of U.S. respondents said they were likely to buy an electric car next time, up from 5 percent in 2019.

Dan Levy, an analyst at Credit Suisse, said: "At the moment, the supply problem of electric vehicles is far greater than the demand problem. ”

Brad Sals, a car dealer in Missouri, said news about the proliferation of electric cars is generating greater consumer interest. Less than an hour after the launch of the new "Sorod", Sals said, he received 30 orders, and the new electric truck will not go on sale until early 2023.

Weston Wellington, who works as treasurer at a racecourse, said his next pickup is ready to opt for an electric one because it performs better than a pickup truck that uses an internal combustion engine. He said he was fond of The R1T electric pickup truck from Rivian Motors, but the "Sorod" also impressed him.

Wellington said: "I'm not sure which one to choose. I just wish there were more options. (Compiler/Liu Baiyun)