The Future of EVs Is Foggy—but California Still Wants More of Them

It’s been a weird and confusing few weeks for the auto industry—especially for those who hoped to see more batteries on the road in the coming decade.

“Electrification is a long-term trend,” says Michael Berube, a former EPA and auto industry official and the president of nonprofit Calstart, which works with government and industry groups on clean transportation issues.

He describes this past year as something like a blip, and says the finances behind switching to electric will eventually convince even more people to consider the powertrain. Today, electric vehicles still have higher sticker prices than their gas-powered counterparts, but individual owners can save hundreds annually in fuel costs and thousands over the lifetime of the car in maintenance by going electric. The choice may be eventually even easier to make for businesses, whose fleets are on the road and burning fuel—or electricity—more often.

“There is an economic driver behind this,” Berube says. “There are a lot, a lot of people who believe that is the right business decision.