Charging infrastructure buildout will no doubt influence new EV sales, but the timeline of a transition to EVs on the road (as opposed to the dealer's lot) is l

Charging infrastructure buildout will no doubt influence new EV sales, but the timeline of a transition to EVs on the road (as opposed to the dealer's lot) is largely a function of the secondary (used) market. The secondary market, I think, will transition slowly because as EV take-up increases, the price of gasoline is likely to fall. Several manufacturers have already announced waypoints for their transition to EV. Audi is targeting 2026 for a full phase-out of ICE [0]. Among its light-duty products, GM aims to sell only ZEVs by 2035 [1]. Ford passenger vehicles sold in Europe will all be electric by 2030 [2]. I could list more, but the message is clear; it is an impending transition and automakers will likely use certain marques as a beachhead for going fully EV while keeping the ICE vehicles compartmentalized in other marques. A headline of "Jaguar plans to be all electric by 2025" is more compelling than "Tata Group plans to sell more electric cars by 2025," even though both headlines describe the same story. Similarly, automakers that have struggled for the past decade or two (eg, the American ones) seem to be taking this opportunity to redefine their role in the market as first-movers. Price and perceived cost of ownership (net maintenance and repairs) are a major part of consumer choices, too. As an extreme example, look at places like Ecuador where new vehicles are so heavily taxed that it's common to see forty-year-old cars on the road. The old cars hold value because few can afford the new ones. If EVs are not price competitive, perhaps there won't be so many customers willing to pay a premium for them. As far as I am aware [3], the current version of the infrastructure bill as negotiated does indeed include a hefty sum for EV charging stations. I for one believe this is an impactful decision given the long-known chicken and egg problem that EVs face. Ultimately, I think we are slowly reaching the point where the incentive for private businesses to install chargers is becoming clear. Tesla for one is opening its charging infrastructure to other brands [4]. [0] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/audi-sets-2026-end-date-combustion-engine-cars-sueddeutsche-zeitung-2021-06-17/ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/audi-s... [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/business/gm-zero-emission-vehicles.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/business/gm-zero-emission... [2] http://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/en/news/2021/02/17/ford-europe-goes-all-in-on-evs-on-road-to-sustainable-profitabil.html http://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/en/news/2021/02/... [3] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-infrastructure-deal-would-fund-electric-buses-charging-stations-2021-06-24/ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-inf... [4] https://www.barrons.com/articles/elon-musk-tesla-charging-network-51627090559 https://www.barrons.com/articles/elon-musk-tesla-charging-ne...