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A12 BUSINESS
Wednesday 20 July 2022
Automakers targeting average

households with new crop of EVs

By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — In
their first rollouts of electric
vehicles, America’s auto-
makers targeted people
who value short-range
economy cars. Then came
EVs for luxury buyers and
drivers of pickups and de-
livery vans.
Now, the companies are
zeroing in at the heart of
the U.S. auto market: The
compact SUV. In their drive
to have EVs dominate ve-
hicle sales in coming years, The 2024 Chevrolet SS EV is shown in Warren, Mich., Tuesday,
the automakers are pro- July 12, 2022.
moting their new models Associated Press
as having the range, price
and features to rival their resenting about 20% of versions could go up to
gas-powered competitors. new-vehicle sales. Industry 320 miles (515 kilometers).
Some are so far prov- experts say entering the The Blazer will be available
ing quite popular. Ford’s smaller SUV segment, with with Chevrolet’s SS perfor-
$45,000-plus Mustang its reach into a broader mance package with a
Mach E is sold out for the demographic of buyers, is zero-to-60 mph (97 kilome-
model year. On Monday sure to boost electric ve- ters per hour) time of under
night, General Motors’ hicle sales nationally. four seconds. There will be
Chevrolet brand intro- “Going to the smaller util- a police version, too.
duced an electric version ity segment gives you the “Early on, the demograph-
of its Blazer, also starting opportunity to access the ic composition of an EV
around $45,000, when it most customers in one buyer was certainly some-
goes on sale next summer. (market) segment,” said one that perhaps had
Also coming next year: Stephanie Brinley, principal higher education, higher
An electric Chevy Equi- analyst for S&P Global Mo- household income,” said
nox, with a base price bility. Steve Majoros, Chevrolet’s
of about $30,000, whose “To make a transition from marketing director.
price could give it particu- (internal combustion en- “That’s very indicative
lar appeal with modest-in- gines) to electric, you have of early adopters. But as
come households. There’s to be in more space. You we move up that curve,
also the Hyundai Ioniq 5 have to be in more price the intention and where
and Volkswagen’s ID.4 in points. You have to be in we’re pricing this product
the $40,000s and Nissan’s more sizes.” is to certainly make it more
upcoming Ariya around Brinley noted that the small available for more main-
$47,000 with a lower-priced and midsize SUV segments stream buyers.”
version coming. meet many people’s Automakers have been
All start off considerably needs, something that pre- pushing to fully restore a
less expensive than Tesla’s vious electric vehicles did $7,500 tax credit for people
Model Y small SUV, the cur- not. who buy EVs to jump-start
rent top EV seller, with a “If it’s a price you can sales. But the measure is
starting price well into the reach but it’s a product stalled in Congress. It’s es-
$60,000s. that you can’t put your kids pecially important for GM,
The new models, which and your dog in, you’re not Tesla and Toyota, which
can get about 300 miles going to buy it,” she said. have maxxed out the num-
per electric charge, are Chevrolet says the Blazer ber of credits they are al-
aimed at the largest seg- will get a minimum of 247 lowed and can no longer
ment of the U.S. market: miles (398 kilometers) per offer them to buyers.
Modest-size SUVs, rep- charge. Pricier high-end Other automakers are ap-
proaching the limit, too.
Money for the credits, as
well as funding for ad-
ditional EV charging sta-
tions, was in President Joe
Biden’s $1.8 trillion “Build
Back Better” social and
environment bill, which is
all but dead because of
the objections of Sen. Joe
Manchin, a West Virginia
Democrat.q