# Is the US EV market dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671 "2026-02-14T20:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/401 "2026-02-26T20:24:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Al128](#): > > > > You are sooooo in for another “ **1973 automotive moment** ” and it’s going to be really really ugly for America. > > Remember- in America- 100 years is _old_- in Europe, 100 miles is _far_. California alone is 800 miles long. EVs dont fit in America like they do in Europe- America is not Europe. Right, because the auto industry in Europe is _hundreds_ of years old? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/402 "2026-02-26T20:25:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Right, because the auto industry in Europe is _hundreds_ of years old? 1. 137 years. Easy to find. What’s your next question? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/403 "2026-02-26T20:27:26Z")
My point is that whole “hundred years in the United States vs a hundred miles in Europe” doesn’t really have anything to do with the auto industry. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/404 "2026-02-26T20:29:51Z")
Yeah, I’m really not seeing the relevance of that quote in this context. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/405 "2026-02-26T20:34:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My point is that whole “hundred years in the United States vs a hundred miles in Europe” doesn’t really have anything to do with the auto industry. It does- it is a old saying that at least for the miles rings very true. The driving distances, in Europe, drivers average 7-8000 miles a year- in the USA it is nearly 14000, or twice the distance. Maybe the first half of the famous quote isnt relevant, but the 2nd half is dead on. Americans have longer distances to drive. Again, comparing Europe to the USA is apples and oranges, especially in driving habits. Thus the comparison is totally pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/406 "2026-02-26T20:40:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Remember- in America- 100 years is _old_- in Europe, 100 miles is _far_. California alone is 800 miles long. EVs dont fit in America like they do in Europe- America is not Europe. > > However, Hybrids have really gotten more popular in the US. If you know that your average - or median - commute is 30 miles (or whatever) it doesn’t matter how long or wide the country is. I live in the country whose North to South Extension is 2,700 miles yet 99% of all my rides are less than 25 miles ( and mostly done on an electric scooter) . ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/407 "2026-02-26T20:43:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Again, comparing Europe to the USA is apples and oranges, especially in driving habits. Thus the comparison is totally pointless … America is really special… dare I say… **exceptional**. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/408 "2026-02-26T20:49:51Z")
Right. Americans drive something like thirty miles each day, _on average_. To work, to the supermarket, to the drugstore, etc. Sure, some of us have commutes of 300 miles over mountain passes, but that’s not typical. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/409 "2026-02-26T20:50:20Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > If you know that your average - or median - commute is 30 miles (or whatever) it doesn’t matter how long or wide the country is. Holidays, vacations, etc. And the average does not include the outliers. More than 3 million Americans have 100+ mile commutes. > [@Al128](#): > > dare I say… **exceptional**. No, Canada has similar issues, and so do other large nations. Comparing nations for things like EV sales depends on so many issues- how much government subsidies, driving distances, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/410 "2026-02-27T02:17:54Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > … America is really special… > > dare I say… **exceptional**. What’s always hilarious about threads like this is Americans desperately theorizing hypothetical futures in a data-free environment in lieu of looking at what has happened in the real world in the many, many other countries who are far ahead of them. For example, in the month of January, Norway sold _seven_ petrol cars! This is vs 2000+ BEVs (and 29 hybrid, 98 diesel). And yet nobody has thought to look up how Norway has actually solved many of the “deal breaker” issues that have been brought up in this thread. > **[Only seven new petrol-powered cars sold in Norway in January](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/06/only-seven-petrol-powered-cars-sold-in-norway-in-january)** > > Data shows 29 hybrid and 98 diesel cars also sold, while the figure for battery electric vehicles was more than 2,000 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/411 "2026-02-27T02:39:20Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > [Only seven new petrol-powered cars sold in Norway in January | Norway | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/06/only-seven-petrol-powered-cars-sold-in-norway-in-january) Sorry- diesel is a ICE vehicle and so are Hybrids- to an extent. But only out of like 2000. The US sells around 3 MILLION cars a months. Who cares about one month in Norway? What does that prove? and people _have_ looked at it- > **[E-car lessons from Norway - Eurocities](https://eurocities.eu/stories/e-car-lessons-from-norway/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22520641585&gbraid=0AAAAApQ8GpSDOO3jste61MPMGdsJEWdie&gclid=CjwKCAiA-__MBhAKEiwASBmsBDTFGoFG26qCm339d3jy8iAaj5HH60HAQJfs0GcBpBZ9J3nReDZF5BoCqhcQAvD_BwE)** > > Look at recent maps of electric car buyers in Europe and you’ll see who the cool kids in town are. Germany tops the list, though if you think this is the usual north-south divide, you’ll be surprised: e-vehicles are also gaining a foothold in Italy... _EU countries have a lot to learn from Norway. In the last decade, the government has been offering generous financial incentives – mainly in the form of tax breaks – to encourage sales of electric models. Cities, meanwhile, have been giving national plans a local push by waving parking fees, lowering highway toll charges or a_l_lowing e-cars to drive on bus lanes_. _Yet, Norway’s unprecedented accomplishments also prove how you can have too much of a good thing; so much so that capping e-car numbers is now becoming a necessity._ _After all, filling urban roads with electric vehicles is not the end goal._ _With private e-vehicles aplenty driving in town, Norwegian cities like Bergen are re-thinking the very incentives that fostered this success. Ultimately the aim is to limit cars, no matter the type, to make way for green areas, public transport, walking paths and other measures that could boost urban life quality._ Note that last- not more EVs- _less cars._ Norway has a pop of 5+ million, as opposed to over 300 million for the USA. What’s next- go to Venice which has banned cars completely? Yes, we all know what the US needs is financial incentives. Cars today are way more expensive and getting Americans- who arent earning any more money, really- to pay the extra $5000 or so is tough. Canada had a massive downturn in EVs sold, so Carney stepped in quickly with generous EV incentives. This aint happening under our current delusional and under the thumb of fossil fuels administration. Just vote in a Dem administration- with a congress- and EV sales will jump back up. Generous tax incentives will be back. Mind you, they will _not_ be like Norway- because only Norway is like Norway. Those comparisons are meaningless. It is not just America ignoring Norway- other nations also ignore how other nations do things- France, the UK and Japan are famous for doing this. However, Musk has so poisoned the great Tesla name, it may never recover. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/412 "2026-02-27T03:33:21Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > When I read this thread on a macro level I get really depressed for Americans. Well, on the flip side, my state seems to have run out of numbers for EV plates. My plates, instead of being “EV xxxx” say “VE xxxx”. So there’s been a lot of uptake locally. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/413 "2026-02-27T03:39:33Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > My plates, instead of being “EV xxxx” say “VE xxxx”. **V** oiture **E** lectrique! ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/414 "2026-02-27T04:57:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The US sells around 3 MILLION cars a month The Norway blurb was for **new** cars. US **new** sales are around 1.2 million cars, trucks, SUVs. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/415 "2026-02-27T13:15:35Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > My plates, instead of being “EV xxxx” say “VE xxxx”. Massachusetts? Mine too, but we switched to vanity plates. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/416 "2026-02-27T23:28:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, we all know what the US needs is financial incentives. Cars today are way more expensive and getting Americans- who arent earning any more money, really- to pay the extra $5000 or so is tough. EV sales damaged the auto industry even with rebates. We don’t need to bribe people to buy something they don’t want. Wat IS selling are HEV’s. That’s where the market is right now. They allow for the charging stations, power grid, and battery technology to catch up. We’ve saturated much of the market for people with the space and money for an upgraded home charging station. What is needed in the short term is a focus on HEV’s. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/417 "2026-02-28T02:09:23Z")
What will be interesting is if the Donut Lab claim that they’ve broken the code on solid state batteries is true. They’re coming out shortly in the Verge EV motorcycle. However, there have been no 3rd party verification of their charging claims and battery longevity. I’m very skeptical of this because of the lack of verification.. But if true, it’s the replacement of Lithium batteries. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/418 "2026-02-28T04:55:12Z")
I feel like anything small that holds a lot of power has the potential to release that power in bad ways. That’s certainly true of a tank of gas, and also a car battery. It’s true of the experimental hydrogen vehicles. It’s going to be true of solid state batteries, too, if they are developed. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/419 "2026-02-28T08:09:41Z")
Why would a battery that’s an an improvement on the Lithium environmental train wreck be bad? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671/420 "2026-02-28T09:01:21Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > my state seems to have run out of numbers for EV plates. This is new to me. Why do EV’s need special license plates? Do any other countries identify EV’s this way? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-ev-market-dead/1027671.md?page=22)