Electric vehicles, although being a big fuss in the media, has done little to attract the mass market. And surprisingly, the mistakes they are making is not very tough to identify. Of course there are a lot of limitations – and some of them are so basic that unless those are solved, the electric car market can not dream of becoming the main stream player. Here are some problems which we think are the most basic, and needs to be handled well before the EV market can expect to grow substantially bigger.
1. Lower the cost
EVs continue to be too costly for those however the devoted or the wealthy. More sales and better production numbers will reduce costs, but EVs need to come down in price by a minimum of 50 % before many consumers will consider buying them.
And if the price can’t be dropped, manufacturers need to develop vehicles that make owners think that every dime they’ve allocated to the vehicle was worthwhile. This leads us to the next point.
2. Have more In-car Accessories
For some reason, EV makers like to strip all the luxury and convenience features usually available in traditional cars from their electric cars. And on the other hand, they like to charge a very high price for a car which lacks a lot of regular facilities. A buyer who buys a car for $30k want to have a car which has features worth $30k. A customer certainly is not satisfied if the car equates in features to a low priced car.
3. Show Actual life Statistics
Outlandish range claims feed range anxiety, one of the greatest prohibitive factors to EV take-up right now.
Car companies who list optimum range in optimum conditions in most cases, a slower-than-normal speed may look good in writing, but companies who pages and use a smaller range that’s consistently and predictably achievable will ultimately win over smart consumers.
4. Being an EV does NOT Mean That an EV Needs to Look Different
Electric cars will vary. They are not gasoline cars. But just simply because they make use of a different drive train and fuel supply does not necessarily mean they need to look different too. Electric car makers feel obliged to make their cars look different (“futuristic”). Certainly the news types of design attracts some niches – but once the demand of the niche is filled up, the broad market is not much interested. They have to understand that they are making cars, not time machines.
Sure, the specialized niche for quirky or unusual designs can help drive sales initially, however it won’t give car companies continued sales after those specialized niche needs happen to be met.
5. Alter the Sales Hype
Unless you’re at a specialized EV company with dedicated showrooms like Tesla’s Apple-esque retail stores, odds are the salesforce will probably be more interested in V8s than electric motors. Sales people who are experienced about electric cars are hard to find, so there is no alternative to training your crews. Additionally, companies must ensure that they have dedicated sales people for their electric cars only.
It isn’t always the sales team’s fault. Lack of effectual training and managerial pressures to sell specific models often leave the electrical vehicles high and dry. Before sales team waxes lyrical about the benefits of going electric or plug-in, conventional gas cars will invariably enjoy greater sales.
What’s promising though is the fact that mainstream automakers are slowly obtaining the message. More accurate specifications, better trim, racing influence, affordable prices and motivated sales teams are bound to appear as competition increases and car companies become more confident within their EVs.