Will the US EV shift progress? The detonator is such a car!

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October 19, 14:00

The image above is the best-selling type of car in the United States last year.

These large vehicles that travel on rough roads and large territories with the power generated by the engine are called "pickup trucks."

It is a symbol of American cars, monopolizing the 1st to 3rd places in the new car sales ranking last year.

The situation is very different from Japan, where light cars and hybrid cars are sold, but as the momentum for decarbonization is increasing worldwide, the trend to shift from gasoline cars to EV = electric cars is also rushing to the United States.

Will the EV shift of pickup trucks progress in the United States?

We will delve into the movements that also affect the strategies of Japanese manufacturers.

(Daisuke Esaki, General Bureau of the United States)

A new look for pickup trucks

This September, I visited a motor show near Detroit, Michigan, in the Midwestern United States.

Since March last year when the infection of the new coronavirus spread in the United States, major motor shows have not been held, and many media have had the opportunity to directly see the latest models developed by each company for the first time in a long time. I was gathering.

At the venue, the "F150 Lightning," which Ford plans to release next year, attracted a lot of attention.

This is an EV model of the best-selling pickup truck in the United States.

The manufacturer is appealing that it incorporates the functions required for pickup trucks.

By installing a high-performance battery, the distance that can be run on one charge is about 480 kilometers, and it is said that powerful running performance has been realized.

When I tried the test drive, I certainly felt the acceleration power of a pickup truck.

In addition, a large storage space is provided in the front part where the engine is gone, and a function that can supply power to work at campsites and construction sites is provided.

Prices start from about 4.4 million yen in Japanese yen.

It is said that more than 150,000 EVs, which is half of the new EVs sold in the United States last year, have already been reserved.

Darren Palmer, Ford EV Development Officer

"The transition to electric vehicles will accelerate in the United States in a few years. I think this car will have a big impact on Americans who are thinking about buying an electric vehicle."

These movements are spreading to other manufacturers.

America's largest GM = General Motors is also planning to release an EV model of a pickup truck soon, and start-up companies are also entering, and each company is launching a new appearance of the pickup truck.

Why focus on the American EV shift

Why is the introduction of EVs for pickup trucks urgent in the United States now?

The background is the delay in EV shift.

EVs and other vehicles accounted for approximately 2% of new car sales last year.

Although it exceeds Japan, it is less than 10.5% in the EU and 5% in China.

As the momentum for decarbonization is increasing worldwide, President Byden, who has raised a sense of crisis, said in August that zero-emission vehicles that do not emit exhaust gas while driving, such as electric vehicles, accounted for nine years in total new vehicle sales. Later, in 2030, we signed a presidential decree to raise it to 50%.

In response, GM and Ford have set a goal of switching from 40% to 50% of annual sales to zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

This goal cannot be achieved without switching the flagship model to EV.

Therefore, each company began to focus on EVs for pickup trucks.

How users see the EV shift

A pickup truck that has been loved by American car users.

I headed to Midwestern Nebraska to see if the switch to EV would be acceptable.

I thought that I could know how to use pickup trucks only in the area known for its vast farmland.

When I got off, the size of its existence was beyond my imagination.

Pickup trucks were running everywhere, even in the heart of Omaha, the largest city.

When I asked the user, I got the following voice.

"If you want to carry your luggage, this is the car. I've been riding it all the time."

"It's a lifelong pickup truck. It's great."

How is the car used?

It was Mike Cook, who works as a delivery company, who interviewed me.

I take good care of the pickup truck that my father bought 12 years ago.

Nebraska has a vast farmland.

Cook says that the delivery distance can reach more than 320 kilometers a day.

Some roads are unpaved.

I can't rest on snowy or rainy days.

While riding sideways, I realized that a car that can drive on rough roads for a long time with large luggage is indispensable for daily life.

I asked Cook about the EV pickup truck.

Cook answered, "I'm interested," but revealed that he was worried about making a purchase.

This is because I run a long distance at work every day, and if the battery runs out on the way, it will hinder my work.

Charging facilities are not well developed in the area where Cook lives.

Mike Cook

"The main reason I hesitate to buy an electric car is lack of infrastructure. I'm worried about running for a long time."

Due to the large land area, infrastructure development of charging facilities is a major issue for the EV shift in the United States.

At this point, there are only approximately 48,000 charging facilities nationwide.

The Biden administration has stated that it will set up 500,000 charging facilities nationwide, but users' anxieties are unlikely to be dispelled until they are installed nearby.

Affects the management strategy of Japanese manufacturers

Whether the EV shift of pickup trucks will progress in the United States will also affect the management strategies of Japanese manufacturers.

The American market is a pillar of revenue for many manufacturers, and some manufacturers plan to sell EVs in the future.

For example, Toyota Motor plans to launch an EV multipurpose sports car in the US market next year, and Honda also plans to launch an EV in 2024.

The key to predicting how the US EV market will expand is whether the EV of the pickup truck will win the hearts of consumers.

There is a great deal of interest in the changes that have begun in the world's second-largest car market, whether new pickup trucks will trigger the US EV shift.

Reporter of the US General

Bureau

Daisuke Esaki

Joined in 2003

After working at the Miyazaki Bureau, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Takamatsu Bureau, he is currently affiliated from this summer.