The Challenges of Purchasing an Electric Vehicle in the US

Two-thirds of US car dealerships surveyed by the Sierra Club did not have any battery electric or plug-in hybrids for sale in 2022, new or used. The largest bottleneck is with the manufacturers themselves, with shortfalls in semiconductor and battery production preventing manufacturers from making enough electrics to meet demand. The structure of the car sales model can put dealers, manufacturers, and customers at odds since the economics of EVs can disrupt the business model for dealerships. With the rise of all-electric carmakers like Tesla and Rivian, there’s a push for car companies to sell their vehicles directly to customers without the middleman.