The first wave of electric car buyers in the US were often rich, environmentally conscious tech enthusiasts in California. But the second wave is those who are looking for a way to spend wisely in the midst of a price storm.
US President Joe Biden promotes electric cars by driving one at the Detroit auto show in the US in September 2022 – Photo: AFP
Mr. Russell Groom is a librarian in Virginia and one of the second wave. Last year he bought an electric car to save money on gas. Except for incentives from the government and automakers, he only had to spend about 20,000 USD to buy a car, save about 1,200 USD a year and pay no maintenance fees because electric cars don’t need to change oil.
People like Mr. Groom are potential customers of foreign electric car companies, including Vietnam’s VinFast.
New trends in North America
Electric vehicles are currently the fastest-growing segment of the US car market, with sales up 70% in the first nine months of the year compared with the same period in 2021, according to data from Cox Automotive, a research and investment firm. Sales of traditional cars and trucks fell 15% in the same period. California continues to be home to nearly 40% of electric vehicle registrations nationwide as of June 2022.
According to Cox data, electric vehicle buyers in 2021 are mostly women and tend to be younger than in 2019. The growth chart of electric vehicles could soar even higher if manufacturers pull through. The common difficulty of the automotive industry today is the lack of components such as chips, batteries and other parts. Not only Tesla, Volkswagen has sold all of its electric vehicles in the US because there are not enough batteries to make new cars.
According to the results of an online survey by the New York Times, the majority of more than 3,000 respondents said that electric cars are much cheaper than gas cars. Many people also reveal the secret to saving even more by investing in a solar panel on the roof to charge the car instead of using conventional electricity.
According to a survey by the New York Times, “great” is one of the adjectives that people using electric cars use to describe their cars. Many people said they would never buy a gas-powered car again, but many others also said they would keep at least one regular car because long-distance travel by electric cars is currently not convenient because charging stations are not covered all over the world.
Large piece of cake for many brands
Tesla, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and others are focusing on more profitable premium models. That is leaving room for affordable and used electric vehicles. Not to mention those who just want an electric car without expensive advanced features.
“I’m not a technology enthusiast. My purpose when buying an electric car is to not have to spend money on gas anymore,” – Tracy Miersch of Miramichi (New Brunswick province, Canada) shared.
For someone who has to drive thousands of kilometers a month just for work, fluctuating gas prices like this year is a nightmare. But thanks to an old Tesla Model 3 bought for about 50,000 USD, the increase in gas prices no longer bothers her.
In the long run, more and more people using electric cars will help the price of this car gradually become more affordable. But not the price, the biggest concern for those who plan to buy electric cars in the US today is that the charging station system is still not covered, especially in apartment buildings, where millions of Americans are living.
Americans eagerly wait for VinFast electric cars
Answering Tuoi Tre on the occasion of the event that VinFast Company shipped nearly 1,000 electric vehicles to the US market on November 25, US Embassy spokesman Cameron Thomas-Shah said: “We share the pride of Vietnam when VinFast entered the US market and envisioned how American consumers would be excited about VinFast cars in the future.
The US has a goal that half of all light-duty cars sold by 2030 will be electric. It is exciting to see a Vietnamese brand stand out in the US market, and we hope VinFast’s factory will be the beginning of many high-value and high-impact investments from Vietnam.”
@ Tuoitre
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Source: Vietnam Insider