11 TV Hill: Are prices at the pump fueling interest in electric cars?
DRIVERS LOOKING FOR SOME RELIEF AT THE PUMP, AND SOME ARE CHOOSING TO TRADE HIGH OCTANE FOR HIGH VOLTAGE. NOW JOINING US NOW FACE IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THINGS CARS. HOST OF MOTORWEEK JOHN DAVIS. GOOD TO SEE YOU JASON. GREAT TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. THE PEOPLE THEY’RE SNIFFING AROUND, THEY MAY NOT BE BUYING THEM YET, BUT THERE’S INTEREST THANKS TO THESE GAS PRICES. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, SALES FOR EVS WERE DOWN ABOUT 30% FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2026. BUT I’M SURE THERE’S A SPIKE GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND INVENTORY IS ACTUALLY ARE GETTING DRAWN DOWN. AND THAT’S PART OF THE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IS, IS THEY MADE LESS OF THEM BECAUSE SALES WERE ALREADY FALLING OFF. SO I THINK WE’RE GOING TO SEE A SPIKE IN EV SALES AND LEASES FOR THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, OR AT LEAST UNTIL GAS PRICES COME BACK DOWN. BUT USED EV SALES ARE WAY UP. AND OF COURSE, THE APPETITE FOR GAS SAVING HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS ALMOST INSATIABLE RIGHT NOW. YOU MENTIONED YOUR EMAIL. YOU SAID PLUG IN HYBRIDS AND HYBRIDS. NOW REALLY THE. HI FOLKS. AND WE’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THEM COMING TO THE MARKET. THE AUTOMOTIVE PUBLIC OPINION CAN CHANGE ON A DIME, BUT THE AUTOMAKERS, IT’S MORE LIKE $0.50. IT TAKES THEM A WHILE TO GET THERE. WHEN YOU SEE HOW THIS WHOLE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED, IT’S KIND OF INCREDIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO RANGE. NOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD ELECTRIC ANXIETY, AND THAT’S SORT OF SUBSIDED A BIT. WELL, THE AVERAGE EV IS PROBABLY GOT ABOUT 275 TO 300 MILES WORTH OF RANGE, WHICH IS MOST, YOU KNOW, PLENTY FOR IF YOU’RE USING IT AS A SECOND CAR. AND I ACTUALLY THINK THAT’S WHERE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE. SECOND, THE SECOND CAR, SOMETHING YOU USE DURING THE WEEK TO GO TO WORK IN THERE IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE TO CHARGE YOU, BUT IT’S NOT PERFECT YET. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A PLUG IN HYBRID, IT’S GOT A SMALLER BATTERY THAT’S MAYBE GOT 30, 40 MILES WORTH OF TOTAL EV RANGE. THEN YOU’VE GOT THE GAS ENGINE, YOU HAVE NO RANGE ANXIETY. AND WHAT’S COMING DOWN THE PIKE IS SOMETHING CALLED EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRIC VEHICLE. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT BIGGER BATTERY AND AN ENGINE? THAT’S JUST A GENERATOR. IT’S NOT CONNECTED TO THE WHEELS AT ALL. IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THOSE. AND THEY’RE REALLY THE RANGE IS DETERMINED BY HOW BIG THE GAS TANK IS. YOU’RE SAYING THAT THERE’S ONE THAT’S POSSIBLY A THOUSAND MILES. THERE IS A CHINESE, A COUPLE OF CHINESE MANUFACTURERS THAT CLAIM THEY’VE GOT AN EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH A THOUSAND MILE RANGE, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE STILL GOING TO BE AROUND 700 OR MORE. WOW. YEAH, A, B, D IS THE NAME I WASN’T FAMILIAR WITH. THERE’S ANOTHER CHINESE MANUFACTURER AS WELL. CAN THEY START TO CREEP IN ON THE AMERICAN MARKET OR BECAUSE OF TARIFFS? PROBABLY WOULD NOT. NOT YET. HOWEVER, THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TARIFFS, HAS SAID IF THE JAPANESE CHINESE WANT TO COME AND BUILD HERE, THAT’S ANOTHER STORY. WE DO KNOW THAT STELLANTIS, WHICH USED TO BE CHRYSLER AND RAM AND JEEP, THEY’RE TALKING TO ONE OF THE CHINESE OR SEVERAL OTHER CHINESE COMPANIES ABOUT TAKING OVER A PLANT IN CANADA, BECAUSE CANADA IS STARTING TO LET SOME OF THE CHINESE BUILT EVS IN MEXICO. THEY’RE ALREADY IN THAT MARKET, PROBABLY ABOUT 20% OF THAT MARKET IS ALREADY CHINESE CARS. WE HAVE A FEW CHINESE CARS HERE FROM BUICK AND VOLVO, BUT, YOU KNOW, BIG NUMBERS IN THE EVS. NOT YET, BUT IT’S COMING. IT’S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN THE. I THINK THE BIG HOLDUP FOR SOME FOLKS IS COST. TALK TO ME ABOUT COST. IF SOMEONE TODAY WANTS TO GO BUY WHATEVER IT WAS, TESLA OR VOLT OR WHATEVER, HOW MUCH CAN THEY ANTICIPATE TO PAY MORE THAN THE GAS CARD THAT THEY HAVE IN THE GARAGE? I WOULD PUT A ROUND NUMBER OF MAYBE 8 TO $10,000 FOR THE SAME VEHICLE. THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU’RE GOING TO LOOK AT A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE, LOOK AT A LEASE, BECAUSE THE LEASE DEALS OUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD NOW. RIGHT NOW THERE’S ACTUALLY MORE TESLA’S IN INVENTORY THAN THEY’VE EVER HAD BEFORE. SO I WOULD GIVE THEM A LOOK. BUT ALONG WITH THAT, MOST ANYBODY THAT’S DOING BATTERY ELECTRICS. HYUNDAI KIA THE CHEVROLET EQUINOX EV A VERY GOOD BUY FROM AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER. BUT THINK ABOUT LEASING RATHER THAN BUYING. WHAT’S IMPRESSING YOU WITH CARS RIGHT NOW IS THAT NEW YORK HAS A BIG SHOW GOING ON THERE. YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AS TIME HAS GONE ON. WHAT’S CAUGHT YOUR EYE THESE DAYS? WELL, IT’S THE VARIETY. THE BIG THE BIG NEWS IN NEW YORK IS ACTUALLY THAT HYUNDAI AND THEN PROBABLY KIA ARE GOING TO DO A REAL PICKUP TRUCK. IT’S PROBABLY ANOTHER YEAR OR SO AWAY. THEY’RE GOING TO DO A BODY ON FRAME. IT’S GOING TO BE A TOUGH MARKET FOR THEM TO CRACK. OTHERS HAVE TRIED IT AND NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT THAT’S THE BUT IT CONTINUES TO BE THE VARIETY. AND WE HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES ALMOST EVERY WEEK. WE’RE STILL TESTING A NEW ONES. THERE’S AN OLD SAYING IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY THAT WHEN YOU START A NEW CAR PROJECT, YOU REALLY CAN’T STOP IT. IT DIDN’T STOP THROUGH COVID AND IT’S NOT STOPPING JUST BECAUSE TASTES CHANGE. IT REALLY IS. YOU KNOW, IF NOT TURNING ON A HALF DOLLAR, IT’S LIKE TURNING A BATTLESHIP. IT WILL TAKE A WHILE. AND YOU MENTIONED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CHARGING. I MEAN, I’VE SEEN 3 OR 4 CHARGERS TURN UP IN PLACES I REALLY DIDN’T EXPECT. AND IT’S NOT JUST ONE PLUG. I MEAN, THEY’LL COME IN WITH MAYBE 10 IN 1 SPOT. YOU REALLY HAVE TO, WHICH IS HELPFUL. YEAH IT IS. I THINK THAT THE TESLA CHARGING SYSTEM IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, BECOMING THE PREDOMINANT CHOICE FOR ALL, FOR ALL AUTOMAKERS BECAUSE IT WORKS SO WELL. THEY ROLLED THAT OUT AHEAD OF THEY’RE STILL CATCHING UP, BUT HOME CHARGING IS WHERE MOST CHARGING IS TAKING PLACE. FOLKS HAVE LIKE A DRYER CIRCUIT PUT INTO THEIR GARAGE FOR 240V. IT COST A COUPLE GRAND, BUT IT’S WORTH IT TO DRIVE THE CAR 2 OR 3 DAYS. YOU PLUG IT IN, YOU’RE READY TO GO THE NEXT MORNING. THAT’S THE TRUE CONVENIENCE OF A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE. AND ACTUALLY THESE PLUG IN HYBRIDS AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. TELL FOLKS WHERE THEY CAN CHECK OUT MOTOR WEEK ONLINE MOTOR WEEK.ORG, OR TUNE US IN ON MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION. WE’RE AT 5:00 EVERY SATURDAY AND 730 EVERY WEDNESDAY. I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR ZIP CODE ANYWHERE YOU ARE ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER WATCH MOTOR WEEK, AND FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN SEE US ON THE PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION NEAR YOU. IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, JUST RECORD IT.
11 TV Hill: Are prices at the pump fueling interest in electric cars?
Updated: 11:00 AM EDT Apr 12, 2026
Are prices at the pump fueling interest in electric cars?Drivers are looking for relief at the pump, and some are choosing to trade high-octane for high-voltage.MotorWeek creator, host and managing director John Davis joins 11 TV Hill to talk about how the EV market is responding.
BALTIMORE —
Are prices at the pump fueling interest in electric cars?
Drivers are looking for relief at the pump, and some are choosing to trade high-octane for high-voltage.
MotorWeek creator, host and managing director John Davis joins 11 TV Hill to talk about how the EV market is responding.
