Increasing Electric Vehicle Sales in the United States: Why Incentives Matter

The Current State of Electric Vehicle Sales in the United States

The introduction paragraph should include a “hook” to grab the reader, some contextual information about your topic, and your thesis statement as the last sentence of the paragraph. The wording in red is an example of an introduction; delete the red text and all of the information in brackets before beginning your assignment.] In the year 2016, Americans purchased approximately 17.5 million vehicles; less than 1% of these sales were electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, other nations, like China and Norway, have eclipsed the United States in electric vehicle market share (Sperling, 2018). These is no doubt from the international scientific community that carbon emissions from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles contribute significantly to climate change, and that electric vehicles represent a viable strategy to curb the automotive industry’s negative impact on the environment. Why then do electric vehicle (EV) sales still lag in the United States and what can be done to increase sales? The US government should increase the incentives for the production and consumption of electric cars because the United States is falling behind other nations in market share of electric cars, they are still too expensive for most consumers, and research demonstrates that electric cars are effective at reducing carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. 
 [Transition sentence from thesis. Body paragraph 1 should include the first component of your argument and paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to support it with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year). The wording in red is an example of a body paragraph; delete the red text and all of the information in brackets before beginning your assignment.] The United States, once a world leader in automotive innovation, is quickly falling behind other nations in electric vehicle market share. While US consumers purchase one-fifth of the world’s EVs, that represents just a tiny fraction of the American vehicle market. The largest EV market is China, with more than half of world’s EV sales. Many countries in Europe are likewise adopting EVs at much higher rates per capita, including Norway, where EVs represent 30% of vehicle sales (Sperling, 2018). The European Parliament and European Union have paved the way for greater EV consumption by setting 2020 targets for EVs and charging stations in all EU member states (Noori & Tatari, 2016). In addition, Japan’s government and private sector have also displayed a commitment to the shift toward EVs, by committing to adding 6,000 new fast chargers across the country by 2016 (Sperling, 2018). In comparison to these nations, the United States’ public and private commitment to the shift to electric vehicles has flagged. The US auto market is much larger and more diverse, with a complicated history of automakers, the oil and gasoline industry, and lobbyists impacting the public’s perception of different types of vehicles. However, in considering the United States’ long history as a global leader in the auto industry, it is problematic that the United States is becoming a follower rather than a leader in the newest shift in the industry. Electric vehicles are ultimately the direction that the automobile market will shift, so the United States should take additional steps to keep up with its global peers.

[Transition sentence from paragraph above. You may have more than one body paragraph on each of the 3 components for your argument. Each body paragraph should include the paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to support your argument with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year).]

[Transition sentence from paragraph above. Your final body paragraph should include opposing perspectives on your topic and paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to refute it with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year).]

[Conclusion: The concluding paragraph should provide a short review of the main ideas presented in the body and make a connection back to the thesis statement. It should also offer some concluding thoughts related to the topic and the future.] The evidence from experts is clear: Electric vehicles are not only beneficial to the fight against climate change, but they are the future of the auto industry. However, the price of electric vehicles still puts them out of reach for most American consumers, resulting in the US falling behind its international peers in electric vehicle adoption per capita. The United States government must take steps today and tomorrow to pave the way forward for American electric vehicle consumption through increased incentives provided to both consumers and producers. Climate change is not a problem we can tackle alone; only through concerted efforts in specific areas can the United States, and the world, combat global warming. Shifting from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles is an important part of that fight, and we must take steps to assure it.