It's a very interesting article. I agree with the overall sentiment. I think the overall key is that the price of batteries have to come down in order for plug in cars to be more widely adopted. It's not just about the cost to the buyer, the automakers need to be able to make money from them. As much money as they make from gas cars. I have also heard that the parts and service departments are important money makers for dealerships. EVs have less parts to go wrong on them. Take the Bolt for example. Nothing tells me that GM is all that interested in selling them. They start at $37,500. Other than the battery range, a Bolt is a $20,000 car. It's ugly and boxy, and it's interior is a ton of hard plastics. So, $37,500 is not appealing to buyers, and it's not appealing to GM from a profit standpoint. The Volt is different. It's a nicer looking car inside and out. But it's very small and nothing special. Again, too pricey to make sense for most people.
Tesla is different. As has been said, the $35,000 Model 3 was BS from the beginning. They can't make money selling the M3 for $35,000. I think they knew that, but saying you would get their beautiful, sexy M3 for $35,000 certainly worked. Got hundreds of thousands of people putting down deposits. They are selling as many as they can make now for $50,000.00. But that is still the luxury market.
I bought my used 2014 Leaf for $10,000. Because the range is so low, it's only viable as a second or third car. My family loves it. It has worked out great. We drive it first for every trip within it's range, which is most trips that we do. Even with expensive electricity here in CT, it was an excellent decision. We are a middle class family, educated on EVs. I got a Level 2 charger installed. Financially, to replace our next car, I still can't make a NEW EV work for us. The numbers don't add up.
I still see new EVs as a luxury. If the tax incentives go away, I'm not sure how anyone but Tesla will be able to sell many of them. That is until the price of batteries comes WAY down.