skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, May 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Millions under threat of strong tornadoes and violent winds as storm danger increases Friday; Expanded Clean Slate laws in NC, US could improve public safety; TX farmers and ranchers benefit from federal conservation funds; Head Start supports WA parents, celebrates 60 years.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Omaha elects its first Black mayor, U.S. Supreme Court considers whether lower courts can prevent Trump administration's removal of birthright citizenship, and half of states consider their own citizenship requirements for voter registration.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

New Mexico's acequia irrigation system is a model of democratic governance, buying a house in rural America will get harder under the Trump administration's draft 2026 budget, and physicians and medical clinics serving rural America are becoming a rarity.

MI Makes Electric Vehicles. Are Michiganders Buying Them?

play audio
Play

Friday, August 25, 2023   

New car prices are dropping, with electric vehicle price tags leading the way. Will more drivers in Michigan decide to buy?

Supply chain issues and high prices combined for last year's slowdown in car sales across the country. Economic factors like high gas prices and high interest rates mean more people are holding onto older vehicles longer.

A study by Consumer Reports finds electric vehicle sales are up 50% this year over last.

Chris Harto, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports, said many factors come into play when people think of picking out their first EV.

"This market is really rapidly advancing; every new generation of vehicles is getting significantly better," Harto explained. "There is some question about when is the time to take the plunge and purchase that first new electric vehicle. We are definitely seeing the concerns around charging infrastructure."

Michigan ranks 25th among states for the number of public EV charging stations per capita. And EVs still account for less than 1% of market share in Michigan, according to 'MICHAuto.org,' a website tracking electric vehicle trends in the state.

Harto said 70% of EV sales this year have been from just nine models, all of which have a starting price under $45,000. Although many car lots have high electric vehicle inventories, companies exclusively selling EVs are showing inventories well below the industry average. Harto pointed out just as drivers are getting used to EVs, there is a learning curve for dealers.

"There hasn't been a lot of time for dealers to develop the experience of how to effectively sell these vehicles once they're on the lot," Harto observed. "How effective those dealers get at selling electric vehicles is really going to determine how successful those models are at selling."

He added Consumer Reports consistently finds EV owners are among the most satisfied in its annual customer satisfaction surveys. The State of Michigan is counting on it, since it predicts about half of new car sales in the state will be electric or hybrid by 2030.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has served nearly 40 million children and their families. (Save the Children)

Social Issues

play sound

This Sunday is the 60th anniversary of Head Start, the federally funded preschool program supporting more than 12,000 children, up to age four…


Environment

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Arkansas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

Environment

play sound

Friday is Endangered Species Day and experts are reminding Rhode Islanders of the plight of the North Atlantic right whale. Right whales' habitat is …


The peninsular bighorn sheep is federally listed as an endangered species. (Chrismr/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Today, on the 20th anniversary of Endangered Species Day, conservation advocates warn polices of President Donald Trump's administration are …

Environment

play sound

New data show Arizona's two largest airports have fared well for on-time departures and arrivals but the same cannot be said about U.S. airlines in …

Eastern hellbenders reproduce from late August to October, with females laying 150-450 eggs that males guard and oxygenate until they hatch, in 45 to 75 days. (Ondreicka/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

It is Endangered Species Day, a reminder some plants and wildlife need protection, like Pennsylvania's eastern hellbender. It is the state's …

Social Issues

play sound

Legal groups are weighing an appeal after a court ruling this week that left voters in several states, including North Dakota, at a disadvantage in …

Environment

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021