Where Are the Exciting, Affordable Cars? They're Skipping America.

"The effort to slow EV adoption has been swift and sweeping. Tax incentives were rescinded, fuel-economy regulations were slashed and stiff tariffs were imposed on every car-making country, most significantly China, which has become an EV powerhouse. Those same tariffs that work to keep foreign-built EVs out of American dealerships have had the knock-on effect of spiking prices on the components and materials needed to build electric vehicles here at home."

"Outside the U.S., electric vehicles have finally seen their price tags fall to the point where they've become affordable for a much wider range of drivers, with scores of cheap-to-buy, cheap-to-operate and well-designed models flooding showrooms in Europe, Asia and even the rest of North America."

"Here in Canada where I live, the first wave of these electrified loss leaders has arrived. The Kia EV4, originally slated for duty across the entire continent, was pulled from U.S. dealerships just prior to its official launch due to the crippling tariffs imposed on vehicles built outside of its borders. Intended as a follow-up to the larger EV6, the EV4 is more modest in terms of performance and price, but it continues to deliver the same bold styling and solid electric range that Kia, and parent company Hyundai, have become known for."

"Then there's the best part: it starts at $41,000 CAD, including delivery fees (which comes out to about $30,000 USD). That amounts to a steal in Canada, where the average new-car price is just over $63,000 CAD; and makes the EV4 the cheapest battery-operated auto on the market."

Global internal-combustion vehicle sales peaked in 2018 as electrification spreads worldwide. In the United States, tax incentives were removed, fuel-economy regulations were reduced, and tariffs were imposed on car-making countries, especially China. Those tariffs also increased the prices of components and materials needed to build electric vehicles domestically. Outside the U.S., EV prices have fallen enough to broaden affordability, with low-cost, low-operating, well-designed models appearing in Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. In Canada, the first wave of these lower-priced EVs is arriving. The Kia EV4 was removed from U.S. dealerships before launch due to tariffs, but it is offered in Canada starting at $41,000 CAD including delivery fees, making it the cheapest battery-operated vehicle in the market.

Read at InsideHook