GM launched ‘EV Live,’ a free online platform that connects electric vehicle owners or consumers who have questions about zero-emissions cars and trucks with an expert who can answer them.
Courtesy: GM
DETROIT — Purchasing a vehicle has never been that easy. But shoppers entering traditional dealer showrooms for the foreseeable future may have a new challenge: An alphabet soup of “electrified” vehicle offerings.
As all-electric vehicle adoption crawls along in the U.S., automakers are increasingly releasing various hybrid vehicles as alternative options to EVs and traditional gas-powered engines. A variety of models means more customer choice, but also more complexity for automakers and consumers, many of whom are returning to the new vehicle market for the first time in years following unprecedented supply chain shortages and record used vehicle prices.
“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 the terms and acronyms actually mean, and what the potential benefits and drawbacks are.”
A car shopper today has their pick of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs); hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs); plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs); fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), also commonly known as EVs. Also coming later this year from Stellantis: range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) that are similar to plug-in hybrid vehicles but can exclusively function as an EV, with its electric motors powered by a gas engine.
Each type of vehicle may be better for a different kind of customer. All except EVs and fuel-cell vehicles continue to offer a traditional internal combustion engine combined with “electrified” technologies such as a battery or motor to assist in performance or fuel economy.
Heather Seymour, of St. Johns, Florida, said she did quite a bit of research prior to purchasing a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, known as a 4xe model.
“I knew I wanted to kind of dip my toe in the water of the hybrids. I wasn’t ready to go full electric, so the plug-in was definitely of interest to me,” said Seymour, who said she typically uses the all-electric range of the SUV, except on longer trips. “The more we learned about it, the more we figured out what we wanted.”
General Motors also use traditional nameplates such as the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox for new EVs that share little to nothing with their gas-powered counterparts other than the name.
Stellantis’ Jeep also uses the “Wagoneer” moniker for two large gas-powered SUVs as well as a smaller, all-electric Wagoneer “S” SUV.
Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa has said he isn’t worried about any confusion, as the brand has a strong naming heritage and customers can decide which vehicle is best for their needs.
“I believe that we need education, but after education we have a lot of choices for the consumer,” he said during a recent interview. “It’s all for the benefit of the consumer. They will have a lot of flexibility.”
launched “EV Live” in 2022. It’s an online video platform, now known as “GM Energy Live,” that allows participants to interact one-on-one with EV specialists and learn about electric vehicles and charging.
Ford Motor recently launched its own video-based training program, geared toward its more than 3,000 U.S. franchised dealers to improve customer service, better engage employees and provide dealers and the company with more data to help in selling the vehicles.
Auto executives say it’s up to the companies as well as their dealers to be trained and educated about the benefits of the vehicles, whatever they may be.
“Each customer, in the end, is very different,” said Jérémie Papin, chair of Nissan Americas, earlier this year. “I think it’s what the vehicle can do for them,” not necessarily how the technology works, he said.