Not too long ago, it appeared that North American car manufacturers couldn’t build enough EVs to keep up with demand but in recent months, things have changed. According to Ford Canada chief executive Bev Goodman, this is because the market has run out of early adopters and carmakers must now win over mass-market consumers.
Speaking on the adoption of EVs in Canada specifically, Goodman said that most consumers aren’t concerned with being the first on their block to own an EV and are more concerned about having a vehicle that delivers a seamless driving experience. She says this is “the really, really difficult part of the move [to electrification] that we need to make.”
“A year and a half ago, we couldn’t build enough EVs,” Goodman said at the Autonews Canada’s Retail Forum. “Now there are some cases where inventory is building up on selected vehicle lines, and there’s some cases also where we have the wrong inventory in the wrong places.”
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According to AutoForecast Solutions chief executive Joe McCabe, “all the early adopters have bought their shiny object,” and notes that normal consumers are more discerning and not willing to pay the same premiums as early adopters. He believes that resolving issues around pricing, range anxiety, battery material supplies, and infrastructure availability will be key to driving sales.
The Canadian government is expected to soon introduce a sales mandate that will require zero-emission vehicles to make up 60% of new vehicle sales by 2030 and 100% in 2035. McCabe does not believe carmakers will meet these targets and Goodman thinks car manufacturers have a lot of work ahead of them if they are to meet these targets.
Ford Canada expects EV sales across all its brands to reach 13% in 2024, up from around 10% this year. In its transition to BEVs, Ford will continue to offer a variety of different powertrain options.
“We’re very much continuing to invest in ICE vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles, as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, giving customers those propulsion choices that they really need and want,” Goodman said.
