The Year of the EV: Vehicles Race to the Mainstream As Popularity Surges

Electric vehicles (EV) splashed across TV screens in multi-million-dollar Super Bowl ads. For the first time, EVs dominated over the weekend at the Chicago Auto Show, the US's biggest auto show. Sales of the vehicles around the world more than doubled in 2021, to 6.6 million, over 2020. EVs accounted for nearly 9% of global sales, up from 4%.

Clearly, EVs have gone from cars for the rich to much more common choices. That’s a big step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the US, for example, nearly 30% of all such emissions come from transportation. Gas-powered vehicles are the main culprit. 

During the Super Bowl, an expected audience of 117 million viewers saw sleek EV ads. General Motors, BMW, Kia, and EV maker Polestar spent an average of $6.5 million for a 30-second spot. Nissan plugged its electric Ariya, along with gas-powered cars. 

The Biden administration on Thursday ordered states to line highways with EV chargers. That’s to encourage EV sales. President Biden has set a target that half of all US cars be powered by electricity by 2030. But the US still lags behind other countries. Many of them will no longer allow sales of new gas-powered cars in 2035. 

Photo from Reuters.