Manufacturers are slow rolling the transition to electric because the batteries are still expensive, and they have to purchase them from third party suppliers like LG Chem and SK Innovation, so there's no cost benefit. Add the transition to the taller SUV form and you get substantially reduced range for a pure EV and there's just not much incentive to change. Also, the batteries have to provide sufficient range to accommodate cold weather and climate control use in much of the country. EV range drops by 30% when temps get under 35 degrees, so if the owner is even thinking about driving someplace cold, they'll need extra capacity for the cold season. This isn't as much of an issue with newer EVs, because they have plenty of range for city and short trip driving. But in older vehicles like the Leaf, that hit could mean not making it to your destination without charging, especially when you account for battery degradation. That is becoming less of a problem as batteries get larger and degradation is reduced by active temperature management.
GM announced its factory closures to to seek cost savings and fund investment in EVs. The vehicles require much less labor inputs because of reduced complexity. The flip side is that manufacturers have to get the price down. The best way to do that is by scaling up production, which is very capital intensive.
What many people don't realize is that most of the benefits of an EV can be had by purchasing a PHEV with good range. For example, the (discontinued) Volt has 50+ miles of pure EV range. That's at the high end, but there are several models with 25+ miles of pure electric range. BMW and Mercedes are also bringing out models with 50+ miles of EV range in the 2019 - 2020 timeframe. For many people, this would mean the vast majority of miles can be covered in electric mode while still retaining a gas engine for longer distance driving. Yeah, it's more redundancy, but how long does an ICE engine last when it's barely used? I guess we're about to find out. Even with regular use, most modern engines can go 150K+ without major issues, so I would expect an engine with infrequent use can do at least that much. With the available tax credits, the PHEV price premium frequently pays for itself. Tax credits cover the price increase, and gas savings increase the return on investment. When the price premium for these vehicles shrinks, they will be purchased in much higher quantities.
I would love to see a next gen PHEV Expedition w/ 3.5 turbo and 40+ miles of EV range with an alternate atkinson cycle cam profile. The range would provide substantial fuel savings while tooling around town (my Expedition replaced my minivan and see frequent short trips around town). Atkinson cycle would improve highway fuel economy and keeping the 3.5 with a regular cam profile would retain towing capability. The new Lincoln Nautilus PHEV has 450HP and 600 ft-lb w/ the 3.0l turbo, but no electric range or fuel economy numbers have been provided yet.
I for one for an dying to purchase an EV, because I'm sick of accessories breaking down. An EV means no more power steering, alternator, or radiator issues, and don't even get me started on emissions components. My cars are too old to have electric accessories and I like to drive them to 200K miles. I still get mad when they start needed maintenance at that mileage, LOL. Only thing holding up my EV purchase is that the used ones have very limited range, usually under 90 miles, the newer longer range models like the Bolt, Ioniq, and Kona haven't taken a depreciation hit. Since the vehicle will be primarily used for my daily commute, I'm considering just purchasing a used Leaf for 10K and ditching it in 3 years. The only thing giving me pause is whether it will handle my round-trip, 54 mile commute for the length of time I expect to have it.
