But electric vehicle sales growth slowed during the first three months of the year, with mainstream buyers wary of limited range and a lack of charging stations.
Automakers, most of which reported U.S. sales numbers this week, sold nearly 3.8 million vehicles in the first quarter versus a year ago, for an annual rate of 15.4 million in sales.
With inventory on dealer lots growing toward pre-pandemic levels, auto companies were forced to reduce prices. J.D. Power said the average sales price in March was $44,186, down 3.6% from a year ago and the largest recorded decline for the month of March.
The company said automaker discounts in March were two-thirds higher than a year ago, around $2,800. That includes increased availability of lease deals. J.D. Power expected leases to account for almost a quarter of retail sales last month, up from 19.6% in March of last year.
Sales of electric vehicles grew only 2.7% to just over 268,000 during the quarter, far below the 47% growth that fueled record sales and a 7.6% market share last year. The slowdown, led by Tesla, confirms automakers’ fears that they moved too quickly to pursue EV buyers. The EV share of total U.S. sales fell to 7.1% in the first quarter.
Nearly all of the early adopters and people concerned about internal-combustion engines’ impact on the planet have bought electric vehicles, and now automakers are facing more skeptical mainstream buyers, Edmunds Director of Insights Ivan Drury said.
“That’s where all of those headwinds come in that we’ve seen in survey data,” Drury said. “Those real-world concerns about charging infrastructure, battery life, insurance costs.”
Esta historia es de la edición April 06, 2024 de Techlife News.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 06, 2024 de Techlife News.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
SOUTH KOREA FINES META $15 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY COLLECTING INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK USERS
South Korea’s privacy watchdog this week fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.
CHINESE ONLINE RETAILER TEMU FACES EUROPEAN UNION INVESTIGATION INTO ROGUE TRADERS AND ILLEGAL GOODS
Chinese online retailer Temu is facing a European Union investigation over suspicions it’s failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said.
CORNING FACES EU ANTITRUST SCRUTINY OVER GORILLA GLASS DEALS WITH PHONE MAKERS
Corning is facing European Union antitrust scrutiny after the bloc’s watchdog said this week it’s investigating the speciality glass maker’s exclusive deals for its Gorilla Glass used in cellphones.
NEW CEO AT CVS BEGINS TO BUILD HIS TEAM WITH A GOAL OF REVIVING THE STRUGGLING HEALTH CARE GIANT
CVS Health fell short on third-quarter profit, but it posted strong sales and the health care giant shook up leadership under new CEO David Joyner after a rough year that has sent shares plunging.
NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFITS AS DEMAND DROPS FOR ITS AGING SWITCH CONSOLE
Nintendo, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario franchise, said Tuesday that its profit fell 60% in the first half of the fiscal year, as demand waned for its Switch console, now in its eighth year since going on sale.
AS THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY BOOMS, AN ENGLISH VILLAGE BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND
Originally built to store crops from peasant farmers, the Tithe Barn on the edge of the English village of Abbots Langley was converted into homes that preserve its centuries of history.
THE BEST SMALL SUVS FOR CITY DRIVING
SUVs are popular in part due to their elevated ride height, commanding view of the road, and roomy interiors.
GOOGLE MAPS ADDS AI FEATURES TO HELP USERS EXPLORE AND NAVIGATE THE WORLD AROUND THEM
Google Maps is heading down a new road steered by artificial intelligence.
TESLA SHARES SOAR 14% AS TRUMP WIN SETS STAGE FOR ELON MUSK'S ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPANY
Shares of Tesla soared following an election that will send Donald Trump back to the White House, an outcome that has been strongly backed by CEO Elon Musk in the closing months of the race.
APPLE BREAKS OUT OF RECENT SALES SLUMP AS IT GEARS UP TO MAKE ITS LEAP INTO THE AI CRAZE
Apple snapped out of a recent iPhone sales slump during its summer quarter, an early sign that its recent efforts to revive demand for its marquee product with an infusion of artificial intelligence are paying off.
