Affordability Remains Crucial For EV Adoption, Experts Say

Experts agree that electric cars are the future. They're just a better, more efficient, cleaner technology—plain and simple. 

It's getting to that future that's going to be the hard part. 

Just look at how 2025 has gone so far. We've got flashy new models on the market and charging infrastructure improving at a rapid clip, but also tariffs slamming the entire auto industry and EV tax credits ending soon. 

What's the result? I'd call it a mixed bag, if there ever was one.

EV sales were up modestly in the first half—but things got ugly in Q2. General Motors absolutely crushed it, doubling its electric sales in the most recent quarter. Tesla, the dominant force in EVs in this country, continued to slide—and the Cybertruck didn't do it any favors. 

On this week's episode of The Plugged-In Podcast, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, helps break down the big moves in the EV market so far this year. We discuss the winners and losers, what's dragging down electric car sales and what the future holds. 

I've had a lot of conversations like this over the years. And while there are so many factors that can impact EV adoption, the experts will often tell you it comes down to the most basic things. Like affordability. 

"We need vehicles that are affordable that have that price parity with their ICE counterpart," she said, referring to combustion vehicles. "Once we have more options like that, I think that's going to be the game changer.”

The Chevy Equinox EV is a hero of GM's EV lineup this year. 

Photo by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs

Also on this week's show, my colleague Suvrat Kothari and I recap some of the biggest mobility news of the week. We discuss Lucid's mega-deal with Uber to put autonomous Gravity SUVs on its platform, and why the Tesla Cybercab makes no sense. Suvrat helps explain this week's battery news from GM, Panasonic and Redwood Materials. 

Check out the show wherever you get your podcasts. We're on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more. If you haven't yet, please subscribe to the show and leave us a review. 

And we're looking to answer more listener questions on the show! Drop your burning questions about EVs, EV buying and the future of transportation below, or email us at podcast@insideevs.com. 

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com

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