Electric vehicle (EV) sales are predicted to soar to record-high levels in 2021, potentially growing to consume as much as 2.5% of the marketplace.
Such rosy projections come courtesy of the car-shopping experts at Edmunds, who further predict that as many as 30 EVs from 21 brands will hit the market this year, a dramatic rise from the 17 vehicles and 12 brands offered in 2020.
"After years of speculation and empty promises, 2021 is actually shaping up to be a pivotal year for growth in the EV sector," Edmunds Executive Director of Insights Jessica Caldwell said on the company’s website. "We're not only about to see a massive leap in the number of EVs available in the market; we're also going to see a more diverse lineup of electric vehicles that better reflect current consumer preferences."
According to Edmunds, EV consumers will have a selection of at least 11 cars, 13 SUVS and six trucks to choose from this year, compared to only 10 cars and seven SUVS last year.
EV dealers are hoping the growing line of vehicles will help build loyalty within this emerging market.
"Americans have a love affair with trucks and SUVs, to the detriment of EVs, which have until recently been mostly passenger cars," Caldwell said. "Automakers should have a much better shot of recapturing some of the EV buyers whom they've lost now that they can offer larger, more utilitarian electric vehicles. In the past year we've seen automakers throw huge advertising dollars behind their EV launches in an attempt to drum up some buzz, and it's promising that consumers seem to at least be more aware of the options out there."
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