Automakers and automobile dealers are slashing prices on EV, especially luxury ones, as a result of increased market competition and some consumer reluctance.
According to Joseph Yoon, consumer insights analyst at Edmunds, the ranks of eager early adopters—people who believe they must have the newest technology in their cars—already own EVs. Automobile manufacturers are forced to target consumers with broader priorities who are more mainstream.
According to Pat Ryan, CEO of car-shopping software CoPilot, hybrid cars are attracting significantly more consumer attention because they have well-established technology and don’t need charging facilities. According to data from Edmunds, hybrids are selling for more than their sticker costs and are leaving dealer lots swiftly, in contrast to electric vehicles (EVs).
For a very long time, Tesla basically controlled the EV market. Now, as it struggles to hold onto its enormous market share with an aging model selection, Tesla is aggressively lowering costs, putting more pricing pressure on EVs. For instance, the base sticker price for a Tesla Model 3 has decreased 17% in the last 12 months. Currently, other automakers, in particular luxury ones, are also offering steep discounts on EVs.
With the exception of Teslas, the average electric vehicle acquired in the United States in September 2022 cost around $1,500 more than the original sticker price. (Remember that the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), often known as the sticker price, is typically higher or lower than this.)
Due to greater market competition and some consumer hesitancy, automakers and car dealers are cutting prices on electric vehicles, especially luxury models.
Consumer insights expert at Edmunds Joseph Yoon claims that many eager early adopters, or those who feel they have to have the newest technology in their automobiles, already possess EVs. Automobile producers are compelled to focus on more mainstream, broader-minded consumers.
Hybrid automobiles are drawing substantially more consumer interest, according to Pat Ryan.
In absolute terms, the cost of a non-Tesla electric vehicle actually increased during the previous 12 months. Because the market for electric vehicles is primarily skewed towards premium brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, electric vehicles are frequently pricey. EVs frequently rank among the more expensive cars, even among well-known manufacturers like Volkswagen and Hyundai. However, EV purchasers today are getting a lot more cars for their money.
For instance, according to Edmunds, consumers who purchased the Audi E-Tron GT, which had an average sticker price, including options, close to $119,000, received savings of more than $7,200. However, it’s not just EVs that cost a fortune. According to Edmunds, the Volvo XC40 Recharge is selling with discounts averaging around $7,750 and an average sticker price of around $61,000.
In general, vehicles with the highest sticker prices offer the biggest reductions. However, among non-luxury EVs, buyers can still find some significant reductions. For instance, discounts on a Nissan Ariya average around $2,200, while those on a Volkswagen ID.4 are often around $2,900. With sticker costs around $50,000, such cars are still not exactly cheap, but after discounts and tax credits, they end up costing roughly the same, or perhaps a bit less, than the typical new car.
Many of these EV discounts can effectively be increased by $7,500 in tax credits, which also means that certain EVs that are already extremely affordable and selling at or near sticker price, like the Chevrolet Bolt, are actually being offered at quite substantial discounts.
