As the affordable battery-electric vehicle market in America implodes, the type of vehicle shoppers desire most, AWD crossovers, are selling in tiny numbers. Be warned, if you are drinking the battery-electric vehicle Kool-Aid, this story will not make you happy.
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The affordable battery-electric crossover vehicle market in America collapsed in the first half of 2022. The number of such vehicles delivered is ridiculously low. While all automakers are struggling with shortages of key components, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) continue to further suffer from battery supply chain constraints and also odd and unexpected failures leading to their recall. Without further delay, here are the numbers:
By contrast to the utter failure of automakers to provide an affordable AWD crossover powered by batteries, Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid outsold the entire list of BEVs combined in the first half of 2022 by nearly 2 to 1. And that is just one of the many AWD crossover models that Toyota sold in America this year. It has sold about 60,000 other AWD hybrid crossovers. The 87K RAV4 Hybrids Toyota sold do not include the 10K plug-in hybrid-electric RAV4 Primes it also delivered.
Not All BEV Crossovers Are AWD
The numbers of battery-electric crossovers we have listed above include all powertrains of the model listed. AWD is optional on the Mustang Mach-E, Ioniq5, EV6, BZ4X, and ID.4. We don’t have a breakdown of the number that ship as 2WD vehicles to share, but the math doesn't get any better. Every RAV4 Hybrid is AWD.
Why Focus On AWD Crossovers?
Crossovers the size of the RAV4 and CR-V are the largest segment of the U.S. auto industry. Families and private buyers purchase this configuration of automobile in greater numbers than any other vehicle available. It is the default family and commuter vehicle in America.
Wait, Wait, What About Tesla?
Tesla makes fantastic vehicles, but Tesla does not produce an affordable AWD crossover. The Tesla Model Y is the company's least expensive crossover starting at $67,440, and is by no means an “affordable” vehicle for the majority of American shoppers. Tesla does enjoy a very high volume of sales in the luxury-priced crossover segment in which it leads. We wish Tesla nothing but continued success and hope that the company someday produces a crossover attainable by most shoppers.
Wait, Wait, What About the Chevy Bolt EUV?
The Chevrolet Bolt EUV is one of our favorite battery-electric vehicles overall. It is very affordable, it is for sale again after being pulled from the market for many months (as we said above, odd recalls), and is a joy to drive. Overall, it is one of our favorite vehicles of any type based on our first-hand testing. However, it is not offered in AWD, and GM rolls its delivery numbers into the overall Bolt model line which only totaled 7,303 units in the first half of 2022.
Conclusion - The Numbers Don’t Support Widespread EV Adoption In America This Decade
Buyer interest is not the problem for battery-electric crossovers. Those that automakers can produce are immediately sold or have months-long waiting lists. This has been true for years. For battery-electric vehicles to succeed in replacing hybrids as the green vehicle choice in America, the volume of deliveries needs to double. To begin replacing conventional crossovers in terms of deliveries, BEVs would need to increase in delivery volume by a factor of at least 10X per model. Despite the frequent press releases reported in the media about added EV capacity being built out, the country is a decade or more from the point where affordable EVs in the style Americans choose will truly be a viable option for shoppers who seem intent on making the switch.
Image of Hyundai Ioniq by John Goreham
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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I would disagree that the BEV
I would disagree that the BEV market is collapsing. The numbers in the EU are over 10%. Many of the manufacturers are prioritizing the EU over the US. You stated in this article that it has nothing to do with demand. That makes me think the title of this article is all wrong. The market is not collapsing but it is being restrained by the lack of production from the manufacturers. Also the dealerships are making it less affordable by adding market adjustments which only shows that there is a strong demand. The Electric vehicle industry is struggling due to multiple issues from chips to greedy dealers but lack of demand isn’t causing any issue besides raising prices because of greed from sellers. Please change your title to better reflect what is really going on. Stop the FUD.
A market for anything
A market for anything consists of both buyers and sellers. Products offered and products sought. Our nation's long-standing history of oversupply has conditioned us to think of a "market" as demand-side-only. That was never true and is not now. The affordable EV crossover market in the US is collapsing due to lack of supply. Which has unresolved shortages of primary materials, shows no signs of abating, and which Elon Musk warned of in June. Semiconductors (often pointed to as the source of all car production constraints) are not the problem. The story makes that pretty clear. Thanks, Russell.
How does a market collapse
How does a market collapse when it is actually growing? Granted the numbers aren’t nearly big enough to make an impact on ICE sales just yet but they are growing and continue to grow despite the raw material issues. I’m pretty sure that Toyota just sold 2000+ more BZ4X models than ever before. I’m of course saying that tongue in cheek. The market has never existed for a small to midsize suv awd BEV. It can only grow from the last year or two with the introduction of that segment. To say a new emerging market is collapsing because it isn’t as big as the legacy suv class you are referencing is incorrect . The numbers are increasing which is the opposite of shrinking (collapsing).
I live in Western Canada. I
I live in Western Canada. I put a deposit on an Ioniq5 EV 8 months ago. I have just been told by the dealer, along with 400 others with preorders, that my order is unlikely to be filled untill late 2024.
I also have an order on the VW i4 to cover my bases.
Again, I have been told that delivery is uncertain and unlikely untill the end of this year. There was some indication, that I have been unable to ascertain, that VW were only going to ship higher priced models only.
Is this a collapsing market or a market that is incapable of fullfillment?
You say the dealers are
You say the dealers are gready but Ithey are down on inventory then they have to raise the price to meet overhead.
I say ,look elsewhere for the blame!
And there is blame but you have been misdirected.
I would like to purchase an
I would like to purchase an electric vehicle it would be my last vehicle of my lifetime. I was called an environmentalist. Were killing everything in it. I tell people take the car Start it up and close your garage door and sit in it while it running.
What are talking about? The
What are talking about? The sales are delivery constrained. Have you try to by an EV.
Thanks for your comment, Tom.
Thanks for your comment, Tom. I have tried to buy an EV. The reason for the market disruption is not demand. Hence my paragraph on that which starts, "Buyer interest is not the problem for battery-electric crossovers. Those that automakers can produce are immediately sold or have months-long waiting lists. This has been true for years." I also explain the source of the delivery constraints. Cheers,
“ As the affordable battery
“ As the affordable battery-electric vehicle market in America implodes, the type of vehicle shoppers desire most, AWD crossovers, are selling in tiny numbers. Be warned, if you are drinking the battery-electric vehicle Kool-Aid, this story will not make you happy.”
And!
“ Buyer interest is not the problem for battery-electric crossovers. Those that automakers can produce are immediately sold or have months-long waiting lists. This has been true for years. For battery-electric vehicles to succeed in replacing hybrids as the green vehicle choice in America, the volume of deliveries needs to double.”
Don’t see the fundamental contradiction in these two statements? You think manufacturers are going to jump into a new market and flood it? What this shows is the market is there. And that market will grow. Electric cars may not wipe out ice next year, but they are coming on like gangbusters!
For the most part, I agree
For the most part, I agree with your conclusion. Electric cars are not coming, they are here now and have been for over a decade - in tiny numbers. However, there has never been a battery-electric affordable AWD crossover built to meet the demand for the most popular type of vehicle Americans buy. That is because it cannot be built and be profitable. Handfuls of Model S Plaids, Lyriqs, and $100K+ trucks are nifty to read about, but 99% of Americans will never own one. Small hatchbacks like the Bolt and Leaf are great vehicles, but they are not what most Americans want to buy in terms of size or capability. Shortages of critical components, and not just semiconductors, preclude affordable BEV crossovers with AWD from happening. And the shortage gets worse every day, not better.
I'm from the 99% Americans
I'm from the 99% Americans who will not be in the market for Electric AWD SUVs. The minuscule demand today is expected to drop if it is not driven by the Corporations by meeting and exceeding the supply. If the supply side already has problems just because of a chip shortage, how will they ever get back into the market when the next disruption happens! And nothing beats a 4 minute stop for a 350 mile ride. Thanks for the article. Well written.
It is a shame that Subaru is
It is a shame that Subaru is electing to build an entirely new plant solely for manufacturing EVs. So, no real Subaru EVs until after 2026.
I guess it isn't good business sense to replace an ICE manufacturing line with an EV manufacturing line.
Mentioned in one paragraph
Mentioned in one paragraph the Chevrolet EUV. Nice cover but it is the Chevrolet BOLT EUV. Possibly the largest black eye to the EV revolution since the EV-1. Only gm can so predictably shoot themselves in their foot.
Thanks, RC. That was a
Thanks, RC. That was a mistake on my part, and after your comment, I edited the story to correctly call the vehicle the Chevy Bolt EUV.
Slant much, John? Comparing
Slant much, John? Comparing only AWD numbers to total sales of other vehicles is disinformation. Got news for you and your readers: EV drivers don't care about all-wheel-drive as much as you think. We care about efficiency, affordability (including the price of gas), and the environment. You're welcome to your ICE AWD, they're just not for us.
Has nothing to do with lack
Has nothing to do with lack of demand for well priced EV"s. It's all about the charging network. Jim Farley knows that and all EV manufacturers need to go begging to Elon to joint venture an integrated charging network or spending billions on EV development will be a waste of money to everyone except Tesla
Wait, wait,wait,wait,wait
Wait, wait,wait,wait,wait,wait,wait¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'll take the Toyota everytime thank you very much.. Good Day, Sir.
Nothing infuriates me more
Nothing infuriates me more than incorrect headlines, and the firat paragrph is just as bad. The *market* has not colllapsed. The delivery infrastructure is not there to deliver. That has ZERO to do with demand, which is the market. Maybe take one economics course if you plan to reference the economy.
Second, EV proponents would vertainly not be upset that hybrids are selling big. First, they have batteries! And the hybrids these days can double the MPG of gas powered vehicles of just a few years ago. Huge hybrid sales are great.
Please get your stories straight and don't create false narratives to interest the climate deniers.
Thank you
What a stupid missleading
What a stupid missleading article. You can't sell vehicles that don't exist. Supply and demand. If they were available they would be gone what is available is being sold at huge markups.
I agree with others that the
I agree with others that the title is misleading. Yes market is the combination of supply and demand, but historically, in terms of sales it’s understood as a synonym for desire.
This is hilarious! The EUV
This is hilarious! The EUV market IMPLODES??? Because... for one year, it has trouble keeping up with demand? Dramatic much? Wishful thinking? Sad because you know your dinosaur burner is itself becoming a dinosaur? True, supply likely won't catch up with demand for a while, since the EV6 and the Ioniq 5 are pretty amazing vehicles. But how is this an implosion? More like the wick of an explosion just got lit.
Tell me your an ICEr writer
Tell me your an ICEr writer without telling me you’re an ICEr writer. You’re probably a tRumptard too
You say yourself that any
You say yourself that any vehicles produced in this category or being immediately sold. That is not a market collapse , actually it's the opposite. Their may be a production collapse but that can be resolved. It would be much concerning if the demand was not there.
Why the fork is the crossover
Why the fork is the crossover AWD such a desired vehicle? Because the tooling is paid for? And marketing says bigger is better?
America is the father of
Crossover EVs aren’t even available easily which is understandable it hasn’t become a consumer product yet. I don’t want to go on ranting my pre about this writer anymore cause I l ready wasted hoping to find something concrete but it was waste of time and I won’t get my time back. Pathetic.
How unprofessional! The
How unprofessional! The author of this article does not have any understanding about automotive market, trends, ramp up of demand and and and. P we
This is hot garbage, bait and
You don't say "The affordable electric vehicle market is collapsing!" and then throw a dozen "But they don't offer an AWD" excuses. AWD requires twice the motors and more current delivery, of COURSE it is more expensive.
This is just a manufactured scare article.
Also it's a good sales
Also it's a good sales article for the RAV4. Toyota must be scared. Love my EV6 BTW. Great car. Like it even more than my Model 3...both are AWD.