GM launched ‘EV Live’, a free online platform that connects electric vehicle owners or consumers with questions about zero-emission cars and trucks with an expert who can answer them.
Courtesy: GM
“More choice in the market is good for consumers, but only if they understand the differences,” he said Paul Watts, 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 opts for 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. Coming later this year from Stellantis: range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs) whose electric motors are powered by a gas engine, similar to plug-in hybrid vehicles, but can function exclusively as an EV.
Each type of vehicle may be best for a different type of customer. All but EVs and fuel-cell vehicles offer a traditional internal combustion engine combined with “electrified” technologies such as a battery or motor to aid performance or fuel economy.
Heather Seymour of St. John’s, Florida, said she did a little research before purchasing the 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle called the 4xe model.
“I knew I wanted to dip my toe in the waters of hybrids. I wasn’t ready to go full electric, so the plug-in definitely interested me,” Seymour said. Except for long trips, the SUV’s all-electric range. “The more we learned about it, the more we discovered what we loved.”
While consumers don’t need to know every acronym or technology to find their exact model, automakers aren’t exactly helping their consumers with the nomenclature situation they face.
For example, the Hyundai Genesis brand calls its all-electric vehicles “electrified,” and many people reserve that term for hybrids. Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan is a conventionally labeled “hybrid” plug-in hybrid, and Toyota markets some of its traditional hybrids as “hybrid EVs.” Stellandis says its REEV vehicles are not PHEVs, although they operate similarly.
“Each automaker uses different norms. There is no standardization and that creates some confusion on the part of the consumer,” Vatti said.
GM’s 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV (right) next to a gas-powered Chevy Equinox on May 16, 2024 in Detroit.
Michael Wayland/CNBC
Some automakers, such as General Motors, use traditional nameplates such as the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox for new EVs.
Stellandis’ Jeep also uses the “Wagoneer” moniker for two large gas-powered SUVs and a smaller, all-electric Wagoneer “S” SUV.
Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa isn’t worried about any confusion because the brand has a strong naming tradition and customers can decide which vehicle is best for their needs.
“I believe we need education, but consumers have a lot of choices after education,” he said during a recent interview. “It’s all for the benefit of the consumer. They have a lot of flexibility.”
One thing auto executives from Japan and South Korea to Detroit and Germany can agree on is the need for consumer education.
Whether the vehicles are electrified or fully electric, vehicle manufacturers are critical to meeting stringent emissions and fuel economy targets, building production volumes, reducing costs and increasing profits.
“We don’t want to force the customer to do something they’re not ready for,” Kia America VP of Marketing Russell Wager told CNBC earlier this year. “We do everything we can to educate them.”
2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV
Jeep
To answer concerns or frequently asked questions about EVs and hybrids, Kia and its dealers have published myth-busting pages online. They range from technical questions about batteries to practical questions like can you drive a car wash in an EV (and you can).
GM has gone one step further. The Detroit automaker has launched “EV Live” in 2022. It is an online video site as it is now called “GM Energy Live,” It allows attendees to interact one-on-one with EV experts and learn about electric vehicles and charging.
Ford Motor recently launched its own video-based training program aimed at more than 3,000 U.S. licensed dealers to improve customer service, better engage employees and provide dealers and the company with additional data to help sell vehicles.
Auto executives say that whatever the advantages of the vehicles, it should be trained for the companies and their dealers.
“Every customer, ultimately, is very different,” Jeremy Babin, president of Nissan America, said earlier this year. “I think what this vehicle can do for them,” he said, “isn’t necessarily how the technology works.”
Automotive alphabet soup
The automotive industry has more powertrain and “drivetrain” options than ever before. Here’s a breakdown:
- Internal Combustion Engine (ICE): A “conventional” vehicle with an engine that runs on gasoline or diesel.
- Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV): An ICE vehicle often functions 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): Think of the Toyota Prius, a vehicle that has a hybrid powertrain system coupled to an engine.
- Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): These vehicles have an internal combustion engine combined with a hybrid system including a larger battery than traditional hybrids and a plug to recharge the vehicle’s battery. Drivers typically allow a certain number of miles to travel using the battery before the car or truck needs the engine to power it.
- Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV): All these electric vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine. Instead, they have an electric motor powered by a large battery. They need to be recharged using a power outlet and a charging port or charging station.
- Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV): Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and appliances operate similarly to BEVs, but are powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen instead of pure batteries that typically include lithium. They are filled with a nozzle just like traditional gas and diesel vehicles.
- Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEV): These are an emerging technology that often function as PHEVs, although after the battery runs out of power to power the vehicle, an engine acts as a generator to exclusively drive the electric motors. Instead of the engine directly driving the vehicle’s motion, the vehicle still drives like an EV.
According to Cox Automotive, 96% people want to buy a vehicle In the next 24 months, if they have more knowledge about how EV ownership works, they may be tempted to consider an EV earlier than in the three to five year time frame.
Seymour, who lives in Florida, and Kevin Storymans, of Winnipeg, Canada, leased a Jeep Wrangler 4xe Plug-in. He said he wasn’t ready for an all-electric vehicle, so he decided to lease a plug-in as a way to save money on fuel and as a possible step toward an EV.
“It’s the best of both worlds. You’ve got your gas engine. You’ve got electric range,” said Storymans, who previously drove a V-8-powered Jeep. “Do your research. There is a lot of information and misinformation out there about PHEVs and electric vehicles.”
According to Cox Automotive, consumers spend more time on average researching EVs than traditional gas-powered vehicles. The company found approx 9 out of 10 EV buyers They have a vehicle in mind before they visit a dealership or place an order online.
“There’s a lot of information out there. It’s hard to explain,” said Stephanie Valdez Streeti. Cox Automotive Director of Industrial Intelligence. “Education is very important. It’s awareness, education and engagement for consumers.”
