EV mandates and the decline of the EV ...

Electric vehicles (EVs) still seem to be all the rage, at least anecdotally. There are huge banks of EV charging stations at Disneyland (but none at Knott’s), and they’re starting to pop up even at wineries.

EVs charging at Disneyland

California has mandated all new “cars sold in 2035 and beyond are zero-emission vehicles which includes battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles.” (source). (Gov. Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20.) Other states, countries, etc., have adopted similar initiatives.

All of this is based on projections, like, “automakers are forecast to produce 60% EVs by 2030 and 67% by 2032” (source). But, what if they don’t?

• January 25, 2024 piece: Opinion: Evidence EVs are a fading fad is ‘rolling in fast’ as Tesla, GM and Ford slash prices
• February 1, 2024 WSJ article: Volvo, An Early Electric Car Adopter, Cuts Off Funding For Its EV Affiliate. Move follows other retrenchments by big automakers as sentiment turns against EVs.
• January 24, 2024 Fortune article: Toyota’s chairman doubles down on his electric car skepticism, forecasting that EV adoption will peak at just 30%
  

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