Photo: FORD
For years, new car sales were driven by demand from consumers telling manufacturers what they wanted in a vehicle. In the early to mid '80s, consumers began to hem and haw over the gas-guzzling lineups offered by automakers, and automakers responded.
In today's dollars, with gas prices in the '80s ranging from $4.25 (4.17 Euros) earlier in the decade to $3.03 (2.97 Euros) mid-decade, consumers were fed up with having to fill the tanks of their Suburbans, Blazers, and Broncos. Simply by not purchasing what was on dealer lots, consumers forced automakers to develop smaller utility vehicle variants.
Not until mid-decade, when Jeep began selling the Cherokee XJ, did anyone have any idea what a smaller type utility vehicle would look like. Often credited with being the first SUV in the modern understanding of the term, it spawned the development of the Ford Bronco II and the Chevrolet S10. The market would no longer bear the cost of the smaller model's predecessors.
Fast forward to today, and the dynamic is much different. It is the automakers that are determining what models of vehicles are available to be purchased and consumers are coming around gradually. Many of the major manufacturers have committed to going 'all-in' producing electric vehicles within the next ten years, and momentum in that direction seems to accelerate daily.
The cost of transforming a gas-powered automotive manufacturing plant to one dedicated to making electric vehicles is enormous. In order to see a return on their capital investments, automakers know they will need to continue pushing until consumers adopt their 'all in' electric stance.
As a result, automakers are going 'all-in' by designing new electric models to entice consumers and dictate the direction of the industry. Prior to this extraordinary commitment, automakers targeted compact car buyers with models like the Toyota Prius. They then turned their attention to the luxury full-size SUV market, where premium prices meant little to wealthy buyers.
Since those days back in the '80s, the compact SUV market has been the bread and butter of new vehicle sales, and auto manufactures are now rolling out new electric models and kicking their chops. In just one example, according to an AP News article, Ford Motor Company's $45,000-plus Mustang Mach E has been sold out for this model year.
Not until mid-decade, when Jeep began selling the Cherokee XJ, did anyone have any idea what a smaller type utility vehicle would look like. Often credited with being the first SUV in the modern understanding of the term, it spawned the development of the Ford Bronco II and the Chevrolet S10. The market would no longer bear the cost of the smaller model's predecessors.
Fast forward to today, and the dynamic is much different. It is the automakers that are determining what models of vehicles are available to be purchased and consumers are coming around gradually. Many of the major manufacturers have committed to going 'all-in' producing electric vehicles within the next ten years, and momentum in that direction seems to accelerate daily.
The cost of transforming a gas-powered automotive manufacturing plant to one dedicated to making electric vehicles is enormous. In order to see a return on their capital investments, automakers know they will need to continue pushing until consumers adopt their 'all in' electric stance.
As a result, automakers are going 'all-in' by designing new electric models to entice consumers and dictate the direction of the industry. Prior to this extraordinary commitment, automakers targeted compact car buyers with models like the Toyota Prius. They then turned their attention to the luxury full-size SUV market, where premium prices meant little to wealthy buyers.
Since those days back in the '80s, the compact SUV market has been the bread and butter of new vehicle sales, and auto manufactures are now rolling out new electric models and kicking their chops. In just one example, according to an AP News article, Ford Motor Company's $45,000-plus Mustang Mach E has been sold out for this model year.
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