The U.S. market for affordable battery-electric crossover vehicles collapsed in the first half of 2022. The number of such vehicles delivered is ridiculously low. While every automaker grapples with shortages of key components, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continue to suffer from battery supply chain constraints as well as weird and unexpected breakdowns leading to their recalls. Without further ado, here are the numbers:

An AWD hybrid crossover has outpaced the entire U.S. affordable BEV crossover market
In contrast to automakers’ utter failure to deliver an affordable, battery-powered AWD crossover, Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid outsold the full list of combined BEVs by nearly 2-to-1 in the first half of 2022. And that’s just a of the many AWD crossover models that Toyota has sold in America this year. It sold about 60,000 other AWD hybrid crossovers. The 87K Toyota RAV4 hybrids sold do not include the 10K plug-in hybrid electric RAV4 Primes that they also delivered.

Not all BEV crossovers are AWD
The battery-electric crossover numbers we’ve listed above include all powertrains of the model listed. All-wheel drive is optional on Mustang Mach-E, Ioniq5, EV6, BZ4X and ID.4. We don’t have a breakdown of how many 2WD vehicles to share, but the math isn’t getting any better. Every RAV4 Hybrid is AWD.

Why focus on AWD crossovers?
Crossovers the size of the RAV4 and CR-V are the largest segment of the American automotive industry. Families and private buyers purchase this configuration of automobile in greater numbers than any other vehicle available. It is the default family and commuter vehicle in America.

Wait, wait, what about Tesla?
Tesla makes great vehicles, but Tesla doesn’t produce an affordable AWD crossover. The Tesla Model Y is the company’s lowest priced crossover starting at $67,440 and is by no means an “affordable” vehicle for the majority of American buyers. Tesla enjoys very high sales volume in the luxury crossover segment in which it leads. We wish Tesla continued success and hope that the company will one day produce a crossover that is accessible to most buyers.

Wait, wait, what about the Chevy EUV?
The Chevrolet EUV is one of our favorite battery-electric vehicles overall. It’s very affordable, it’s back on sale after being off the market for many months (as we said above, odd recalls), and it’s a blast to drive. Overall, this is one of our favorite vehicles of any type based on our first-hand testing. However, it is not offered in all-wheel drive, and GM is rolling its delivery numbers into the overall Bolt model lineup which totaled just 7,303 units in the first half of 2022.

Conclusion – The Numbers Don’t Support Widespread EV Adoption in America This Decade
Buyer interest isn’t the issue for battery-electric crossovers. The ones automakers can produce either sell out immediately or have months-long waiting lists. It’s been true for years. For battery electric vehicles to succeed in replacing hybrids as the green vehicle choice in America, the volume of shipments must double. To start replacing conventional crossovers in terms of deliveries, BEVs should increase delivery volume by a factor of at least 10X by model. Despite frequent press releases reported in the media about building additional EV capacity, the country is a decade or more away from affordable EVs in the style Americans are choosing will truly be a viable option for buyers. who seem determined to make the change.

Hyundai Ioniq image by John Goreham

John Goreham is a longtime member of the New England Motor Press Association and a recovering engineer. John’s interest in electric vehicles dates back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an electric vehicle battery as part of a university team. After graduating in mechanical engineering, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry and in biotechnology. In addition to Torque News, John’s work has appeared in dozens of US media outlets and provides reviews for numerous vehicle-buying sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitterand check his credentials on Linkedin

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