Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- EVs in Utah are heavily discounted due to low demand.
- Concerns include charging times, power grid capacity and long commutes.
- Experts suggest infrastructure upgrades are needed for widespread EV adoption.
SALT LAKE CITY — The one type of car sellers cannot seem to give away right now is electric vehicles.
"For people who are interested in electric cars, those are heavily discounted right now," said automotive expert Brian Moody, executive editor at Kelley Blue Book.
That statement holds especially true among the EV models being sold in the state of Utah, according to data shared with the KSL Investigators by the car search engine website, iSeeCars.
In August, demand for the Nissan Leaf was down 20.2% nationally, while down 23.1% here in the Salt Lake area market. Sales of the Chevy Bolt have dropped 18.3% around the country but that figure is 22.5% in Utah. Or the popular Tesla Model 3 where demand has dropped 24.8% nationwide, but the number is a whopping 32% drop in Utah.
"Electric cars work for some people, but they don't work for everyone," Moody said.
One of the main reasons why that's so, he said, is a lack of confidence in drivers that an EV won't leave them stranded. Charging an EV battery can take significantly longer than filling a gas tank. And in a place like Utah where commutes can be long, easy access to power, especially a fast-charging station, is not a guarantee.
And there are questions as to whether the power grid could even handle a massive switch to electric vehicles.
"Electric vehicles do require us to upgrade our infrastructure," said Andrew Phillips, vice president of transmission and distribution infrastructure with the Electric Power Research Institute.
Phillips is a doctor of high-voltage engineering. His company tests new technologies on behalf of power companies.
He said that, at current EV growth rates, the power grid can keep up.
"But if it exponentially increases, we're going to have to work it out," he said.
Another concern often voiced by consumers is — what if the power goes out? There have been some memorable examples, like the windstorm that pummeled the Wasatch Front in 2020, where power to some areas was knocked out for days.
Well, if that happens, Dr. Phillips said you won't have much help from your gas guzzler, either.
"Obviously, there's a legitimate concern of a widespread outage you won't be able to charge your vehicle but by the same token, if you have a widespread outage at the gas station, you won't be able to pump gas," he said.
The inflation-busting bottom line here is: If you are in the market for a new car and are looking for a deal, it might be worth considering a deeply discounted EV if electric could work for you.
