Iran Press/America: If you’re tired of skyrocketing gas prices in the US and are thinking about the benefits of an electric ride, chances are you’re not alone. But even though switching to an electric vehicle may seem like a no-brainer, there are some significant obstacles—including new problems caused by the conflict in Ukraine—facing the EV industry right now, which means that demand is likely to outstrip supply for the time being.
Even before high prices at the pump, the worldwide transition to electric vehicles was switching into high gear. Sales of EVs doubled across the world in 2021 compared to 2020. Several huge automakers, like GM, have made big investments in EV models and factories, while others, like Volvo, have promised to totally stop producing gas-powered cars over the next decade. In February, the Department of Energy unveiled a $5 billion plan to create a nationwide EV charging network. Cities across the US, from Charleston, West Virginia to Saginaw, Michigan, are making moves to install electric charging stations, Gizmodo reported.
Gas prices were already high (for a variety of reasons, none of them related to the Biden administration’s environmental policies) before the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Those steeper prices are going to last a while.
“The cost of fueling a gas car is almost always more expensive than an EV car,” Nick Nigro, the founder of Atlas Public Policy, a firm that provides analytical tools on transportation and building electrification, told Earther. “For consumers, electricity prices are mostly stable over decades, because they’re regulated in the US They’re not free to float with the demands of a commodity like oil.”
Google search interest for electric vehicles smashes a record
As gas prices soared and deepened the pain at the pump this month, consumers reacted by searching for — and possibly dreaming of — more fuel-efficient vehicle alternatives. Web search interest in electric vehicles reached a record high in the US in March, according to Google Trends.
While high gas prices are certainly one reason, Jesse Toprak, chief auto analyst at Autonomy, an EV subscription company, said the new interest is spurred by a combination of things.
“It’s a direct reaction to high gas prices, and on top of that, we’re also seeing more and more EV models available to choose from for consumers,” Toprak told CNN. “So it’s a function of I will say, mostly high gas prices, but also availability of new EV products in the marketplace.”
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