Yes, we all know the USA lags China and the EU in EV adoption. (I remain unclear why we no longer include Japan in these discussions. They’ve had some luck making cars there….) And yes, we know the familiar list of reasons why: longer driving distances, weak charging infrastructure, bizarre politics, etc.
But here’s a factor that, while we are all aware of it, is rarely clearly quantified and displayed: we drive BIG cars. And electrifying bigger/heavier vehicles is costlier than electrifying smaller/lighter vehicles (more battery needed to get to the same speed, and then more battery needed to carry around the bigger battery, and so on). Now, thanks to the good folks at JATO Dynamics1, we have two very nice summary infographics on just how much bigger and heavier the American fleet is. (And yes, JATO includes Japan. Not to mention India, bravo!)
(I’m not sure what “mm” is: Modest Mouse? Maybe some term used in Yurp.)
(Same with whatever this “kg” is: Karmann Ghia? Huh.)
The implication would be that, all other things being equal (which they never are), America will lag these other nations in its rate of electrification. We may end up at similar levels, but if the American fleet remains this large and heavy, our adoption curve will remain less steep.
Sorry for omitting the citation when I first published this. “In the slow lane: EV demand in the US,” www.jato.com, undated but I believe March 2024.