EVs Need to Win on Their Own Merits

By Edward A. Sanchez — Dec. 6, 2024

In the last election cycle, EVs became a political punching bag, the symbol of an overzealous progressive agenda determined to have everyone bow to their vision of environmental justice, an insidious plot to take away the beloved internal combustion engine. The fact that the man that has become as synonymous with electric cars as “hybrid” has with the Toyota Prius supported the “drill, baby, drill” candidate confounds nearly everyone, myself included.

But I’m going to side with Elon Musk here. It’s time for EVs to stand on their own four tires, without the crutch of incentives or tax credits. It has now been more than a decade that EV tax credits have been offered. Likewise, the modern EV charging infrastructure has existed for more than 10 years.

EVs need to stand on their own merits, make it or break it. They’re objectively superior in well-to-wheel efficiency, and in powertrain smoothness and acceleration. Sure, there are edge cases where internal combustion or PHEV still hold an edge (towing, long-distance driving in remote areas) but as the charging infrastructure continues to build out across the country, these “charging deserts” will continue to dry up.

I am not disparaging the thousands of hours of research and development, and billions of dollars that have gone into EVs and charging infrastructure. Many have spent the better part of their engineering career developing electric cars and related technologies such as batteries, charging infrastructure, electric motors, controls, and software.

Some might say I’m just a Tesla-Stan, and drinking Elon’s Kool-Aid. Think what you will. The iPhone didn’t need a government mandate or tax credit to become the worldwide phenomenon that it has become. Today, even though it’s less than 20 years old, many of us can barely imagine daily life without a smartphone.

There are now many compelling EVs on the market, at many price points, and many more to come in the next 2-3 years. As I’ve said many times, the key is “butts in seats.” Many EV skeptics have been converted through test drives or rides. As I have also said, EVs aren’t for everyone. For many, a hybrid or PHEV is a better choice for their circumstances.

There are some in the EV blogosphere that are obsessed with how often PHEV owners actually plug their vehicles in, and make a point that OEMs have not yet publicly disclosed this information. Personally, I really don’t care. If you own a PHEV and don’t plug it in, you’re just cheating yourself. Other than the perk of HOV access decals in some states, the only person you’re cheating is yourself. PHEVs are heavier and less-efficient than non-plugin hybrids if you don’t plug them in.

PHEVs are often the “gateway drug” to full EVs. So as imperfect as they may be as the platypuses of the automotive world, I’m all in favor of PHEV adoption. As is the case with pure battery electrics, I don’t think PHEVs should get tax incentives or rebates either.

The removal of incentives or credits will ultimately make EV technology more competitive with ICE. With more than a decade of support, it’s time to take the training wheels off.

(Image courtesy Tesla)