GM launched “EV Live,” a free online platform that connects electric vehicle owners or consumers who have questions about zero-emission cars and trucks with an expert who can answer them.
Courtesy: GM
“More choice in the marketplace is good for consumers, but only if they understand the differences,” said Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific. “There needs to be more clarity on what terms and acronyms actually mean, as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks.”
A car buyer today has a choice between traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEV); hybrid electric vehicles (HEV); plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV); fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV), also called electric vehicles. Stellantis will also offer extended range electric vehicles (REEVs) later this year that are similar to plug-in hybrid vehicles but can operate exclusively as an electric vehicle, with their electric motors powered by a gasoline engine.
Each type of vehicle may be better for a different type of customer. All except electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles continue to offer a traditional internal combustion engine combined with “electrified” technologies such as a battery or motor to improve performance or fuel economy. fuel.
Heather Seymour of St. Johns, Florida, said she did a lot of research before purchasing a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, known as the 4xe model.
“I knew I wanted to kind of take my first steps into the world of hybrid vehicles. I wasn’t ready to go all-electric, so I was really interested in the plug-in vehicle,” said Seymour, who said she generally uses the SUV’s all-electric range except for long trips. “The more we learned about it, the more we understood what we wanted. »
While consumers don’t need to know every acronym or technology to find the right model for them, automakers aren’t exactly helping matters with their consumer-facing naming.
For example, Hyundai’s Genesis brand calls its all-electric vehicles “electrified,” while many other brands reserve that term for hybrids. Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan is a plug-in hybrid labeled as a regular “hybrid,” and Toyota markets some of its traditional hybrids as “hybrid EVs.” Stellantis says its REEVs are not PHEVs, though they operate in a similar way.
“Each car manufacturer uses different terms. There is no standardization, which leads to some confusion on the consumer side,” Waatti said.
GM’s 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV (right) next to a gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox on May 16, 2024 in Detroit.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
Some automakers such as General Motors also use traditional nameplates such as Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox for new electric vehicles that don’t share much with their gas-powered counterparts other than the name.
Stellantis’ Jeep also uses the “Wagoneer” moniker for two large gasoline-powered SUVs as well as a smaller, all-electric Wagoneer “S” SUV.
Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said he doesn’t fear any confusion because the brand has a strong naming heritage and customers can decide which vehicle best suits their needs.
“I believe we need education, but after education we have a lot of choice for the consumer,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s in the consumer’s interest. They will have a lot of flexibility.”
One thing auto industry leaders from Japan to South Korea to Detroit to Germany can agree on is the need to educate consumers.
Whether electrified or fully electric, vehicles are essential for automakers to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy targets, as well as to expand production scale, lower prices and increase profits.
“We don’t want to force a customer to do something they’re not ready for,” Russell Wager, Kia America’s vice president of marketing, told CNBC earlier this year. “We do our best to educate them. »
2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV
Jeep
Kia and its dealers have posted myth-busting pages online to address concerns or frequently asked questions about electric and hybrid vehicles. They range from technical questions about batteries to practical questions like whether you can go through a car wash with an electric vehicle (it’s possible).
GM has taken it a step further. The Detroit automaker launched “EV Live” in 2022. It is an online video platform, now known as “GM Energy Live,” that allows participants to interact face-to-face. Head with electric vehicle specialists and learn more about electric vehicles and charging.
Ford Motor recently launched its own video training program for its more than 3,000 U.S. franchised dealerships to improve customer service, better engage employees and provide dealers and the company with more data to help sell vehicles.
Auto industry executives say it is up to companies and their dealers to be educated and informed about the benefits of whatever vehicles they may be.
“Ultimately, every customer is very different,” Jeremie Papin, president of Nissan Americas, said earlier this year. “I think it’s what the vehicle can do for them,” not necessarily how the technology works, he said.
Automotive Alphabet Soup
The automotive industry has more powertrain and “propulsion” options than ever before. Here is a breakdown:
- Internal combustion engine (ICE): A “traditional” vehicle with a gasoline or diesel engine.
- Mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV): An ICE vehicle that operates largely like a non-hybrid vehicle but may include minimal electrified features such as a small battery, regenerative braking, or an electric motor.
- Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV): Consider the Toyota Prius, a vehicle with a hybrid drivetrain combined with an engine.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV):These vehicles feature an internal combustion engine combined with a hybrid system, including a larger battery than traditional hybrid vehicles and an outlet to recharge the vehicle’s battery. They typically allow drivers to travel a certain number of miles using the battery before the engine is needed to power the car or truck.
- Battery electric vehicle (BEV): These fully electric vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine. Instead, they contain an electric motor powered by a large battery. They must be recharged using an electrical outlet and charging port or charging station.
- Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV): Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and equipment work very similarly to battery electric vehicles, but are powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen instead of pure batteries, which typically contain lithium. They are filled using a nozzle, like traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles.
- Extended Range Electric Vehicles (REEV): This is an emerging technology that functions much like a PHEV. However, once the battery runs out of energy to power the vehicle, an engine operates as a generator to exclusively power the electric motors. The vehicle still drives like an electric vehicle instead of having the engine directly powering the vehicle’s motion.
According to Cox Automotive, 96% of people considering purchasing a vehicle in the next 24 months could be encouraged to consider an electric vehicle within three to five years if they had better knowledge of how electric vehicle ownership works. an electric vehicle.
That was the case for Seymour, a Florida resident, and Kevin Storimans, of Winnipeg, Canada, who rented a plug-in Jeep Wrangler 4xe. He said he wasn’t ready for a fully electric vehicle, so he decided to rent the plug-in as a way to save money on fuel and as a potential stepping stone to an electric vehicle.
“It’s the best of both worlds. You have a gas engine and some electric range,” said Storimans, who once drove a V8-powered Jeep. “Do your research. There is so much information and misinformation out there about PHEVs and electric vehicles. »
According to Cox Automotive, consumers spend more time on average researching electric vehicles than traditional gasoline vehicles. The company found that about 9 in 10 electric vehicle buyers already have a vehicle in mind before visiting a dealership or placing an order online.
“There’s a lot of information out there. It’s hard to explain,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive. “Education is critical. It’s about consumer awareness, education and engagement.”