Plenty of people can afford new cars, just not necessarily expensive ones. The average price of a new vehicle in the united states is around 35k, but the average price of an electric vehicle is closer to 50k.
If you want the average person to be buying an EV, the price needs to come down.
It should also be mentioned that loan terms for new vehicles are insane right now which is partially why the average price of new cars is so high - GM is offering 84 month, 0% loans on its trucks - today!
Many consumers believe it's better but can't afford the price of an EV even after incentives.
We don't need more talk, we need better prices. Sub 30k crossovers/hatchbacks is what consumers are buying in droves. These markets aren't exactly flush with EVs or even hybrids.
It's really easy to make a comment and have it come off as dismissive or unsympathetic, I recognize that thousands of people put in tons of hard work on a product and tech stack that they believed in.
I keep reading my friends' goodbye messages to ML after being laid off and being amazed at how different they perceive their work than I do as a consumer. It's like the culture is closer to Jonestown than Cupertino.
I say that because I don't know how much koolaid you have to drink before the ML product that was released to consumers becomes impressive. The experiences available on their platform are not compelling. The headset is inferior and expensive.
Much of what I've seen exclaimed by ML employees as examples of their product and company's quality are things that I consider organizational bugs. Their tech stack is as deep as the Marianas Trench and they're too proud of it.
I don't think ML will be in business in 5 years unless they slim down, sell off IP, and relocate. They do have some really impressive tech and smart people, but I don't think the company as it exists today is viable.
If you want the average person to be buying an EV, the price needs to come down.
It should also be mentioned that loan terms for new vehicles are insane right now which is partially why the average price of new cars is so high - GM is offering 84 month, 0% loans on its trucks - today!