Charging remains EV’s Achilles heel

The US transition to electric vehicles has hit a snag, with concerns about vehicle range and limited charging capacity compounding the core affordability issues.

In recent weeks, automakers have pushed back EV sales targets and delayed capital projects in order to reduce unsold EV inventories at dealerships.

"The slowdown in EV sales is much more pronounced than it is for other categories of vehicles and that isn't related to the economy," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData.

"The EV has a problem attached to it," he said. "It's a much more difficult and complex purchase because of the range of the vehicles and the charging infrastructure."

American consumers are accustomed to lengthy road trips for holidays or to visit friends and relatives, owing to the country's large size and limited public transit options.

But so far, the network of EV charging stations remains dodgy, with many areas either lacking infrastructure or equipped with unreliable machines.

More than three-quarters of drivers consider EVs reliable, according to a survey by the Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

But there are also significant doubts among drivers surrounding the autos over inadequate charging infrastructure (36 percent), battery range (39 percent) and vehicle affordability (38 percent).

The average EV sold in October for $51,762, some $13,000 below the year-ago level for the autos, but almost $4,000 above the average price of all autos.

In Europe, the increased price of gasoline provides an incentive for consumers to overlook the vehicle's high initial cost.