UK-based Rho Motion say its figures show November 2024 was a record month for electric vehicles, with 1.8 million units being sold worldwide.
The November numbers are a 100,000 higher than the October 2024 ones, which set the previous record.
Year-on-year between January and November, 2024 saw global EV sales jump by a quarter to 15.2 million. China remains the top market in the world for EVs, with sales increasing a massive 40 per cent to 9.7 million.
EV sales in North America increased to 1.6 million, up 10 per cent, whereas in the rest of the world they rose by a quarter.
Not all areas registered growth however. Even though 2.7 million EVs were sold in Europe between January and November, the market in that region shrank by three per cent in that period of time.
This is due to the major markets like Germany, France and Italy being down, whereas UK with its zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate grew by 17 per cent.
EV brands capitalising on the strong sales growth in China include Geely, Tesla and Changan; China also saw a doubling of plugin hybrid EVs (PHEVs) on a year-on-year basis, Rho Motion said.
For the US and Canada, Rho Motion expects continued strong growth toward the end of the year as consumers bring forward their purchases to take advantage of the Biden administration's tax credit, which president-elect Donald Trump intends to scrap.
Motor Industry Association numbers suggest full EV and petrol-hybrid EV sales in New Zealand were down significantly year-on-year in January-November 2024 compared to the same time period 2023.
| Type | Jan-Nov 23 | Jan-Nov 24 | Difference |
| BEVs | 17,688 | 5508 | -68.9% |
| PHEVs | 8008 | 2729 | -65.9% |
Update The New Zealand numbers were misread and wrong in the earlier version of the story. Apologies.
Rho Motion tracks market trends for electric vehicles and batteries.
127 Comments
Meanwhile in backwards NZ where we now pretty much penalise people for doing something good, but isn't part of the petrol head culture of driving ever larger trucks on them...
https://evdb.nz/ev-stats
EV's are woke don't you know?
Meanwhile in Norway -
Of the 2.8m private cars registered in the Nordic country, 754,303 are all-electric, against 753,905 that run on petrol, the Norwegian road federation (OFV) said in a statement. Diesel models remain the most numerous at just under 1m, but their sales are falling rapidly.“This is historic. A milestone few saw coming 10 years ago,” said OFV director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen.“The electrification of the fleet of passenger cars is going quickly, and Norway is thereby rapidly moving towards becoming the first country in the world with a passenger car fleet dominated by electric cars.”
Yes, Norway is the global leader in this space. But, how did they do it? That's right, they used the money they generate from selling fossil fuels to fund infrastructure and massive government incentives for 2 decades. They also combined that with ever increasing taxes on ICE vehicles that have made them near impossible to purchase new except for the ultra rich. They also have most of their electricity generated by hydro at ~90% with wind making up the rest with a bit of gas as buffer. We could be on the exact same path as Norway if we had some sort of vision past the next 3yr election cycle.
Companies like BHP and their shareholders love EV's. Vehicle electrification requires 55% more copper mines by 2050 — study - MINING.COM
Disconnected western advocates pushing for products that are created by poisoning the poor people of other nations may need to rebalance their views. 'Cobalt Red' describes the 'horror show' of mining the element in the DRC : Goats and Soda : NPR
We can recycle copper, companies like BMW all ready do. Glad you raised the cobalt issue its used to remove sulfur in the oil refining process. Like petrol it cant be recycled in a time frame that matters. If you want to be green don't own a car. If you need a car and want to save money invest in solar and a used BEV.
"It's the best time to buy an EV with the vehicles selling more cheaply than when the rebate scheme was in place..."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535572/buy-now-for-a-well-priced-ev…
I'm a bit confused on the NZ data. This is the actual YTD new registration data for NZ by power category: -
2023 2024
Diesel 8,270 6,790
Petrol 41,049 35,712
Hybrid 26,786 29,440
PHEV 7,999 2,729
BEV 17,650 5,518
When you add in all of the used imports that come in each year the data looks horrendous for BEV's as a percentage of new registrations (cars added to the fleet). BEV's as a percentage of used and new registrations YTD is only 3.8%.
Tesla NZ is having a complete shocker. They are down a whopping -76% YTD with 1,037 registrations this year vs 4,340 for last year. Without some sort of government incentive I imagine that Tesla will be reevaluating its operations in NZ.
The transition to a BEV future in NZ isn't happening at the rate the mainstream media tells us it is. Remember, a BEV is the only true EV, everything else has an ICE as part of the complex drivetrain.
The transition to a BEV future in NZ isn't happening at the rate the mainstream media tells us?
Are they telling you something else? Ideology driven NZ coalition is hell bent on slowing this uptake (and doing a great job) but regardless is going to happen anyway. We will just have some ICe clunkers around our roads for many years to come.
100%. The challenge that NZ will face is the risk we face with infrastructure not being built out as a result of our slow adoption. Vehicle supply will change drastically when the UK/EU regulations start kicking in from 2035 and all hell will break loose in the global automarket. It will be fascinating to see it play out. I've got a foot in both camps with a BEV for day to day and a 911 for fun.
Definitely a lift in sales prior to the rebate being ended, but it's not as big as we were lead to believe. BEV's are actually cheaper now than when the rebate was in place. The slide in BEV sales actually started much earlier.
The bigger issue is peoples ability to finance a new car purchase. Most BEV purchases for private individuals were zero % mortgage offers (3-5yr) from banks for Sustainable lending. This caused a huge uptake in BEV sales and then people used the rebate to go on holiday in Fiji, no, I'm not joking.
Below is Tesla new sales for 2023: -
Jan 189
Feb 186
Mar 875
Apr 197
May 173
Jun 963
Jul 203
Aug 104
Sep 760
Oct 144
Nov 566
Dec 588
By QTR
Q1 1,232
Q2 1,333
Q3 1,067
Q4 1,268
"Definitely a lift in sales prior to the rebate being ended, but it's not as big as we were lead to believe. BEV's are actually cheaper now than when the rebate was in place. The slide in BEV sales actually started much earlier."
I was curious about that and charted the 2023 EV sales totals month by month:
BEV sales by QTR are as below. The peak of normal sales was 22 Q3/4 and it declined from there until the 23 Q4 before the rebate was ended. 23 Q4 was a combination of brought forward sales and dealers pre-registering BEV's so that they could claim the rebate for themselves. Dealers then used the cars as demo and later sold them after only a few months.
So, the trend was going down before the rebate was ended with a one-off QTR result before the free money stopped.
The BEV market collapsed after the rebate ended and hasn't recovered. This is despite the range of vehicles on offer being being significantly greater than 2yrs ago and the out the door price being significantly lower than when the rebate was in place.
21 Q1: 851
21 Q2: 773
21 Q3: 2,550
21 Q4: 2,512
22 Q1: 2,820
22 Q2: 1,673
22 Q3: 5,378
22 Q4: 5,761
23 Q1: 4,567
23 Q2: 4,810
23 Q3: 3,660
23 Q4: 7,965
24 Q1: 1,081
24 Q2: 1,131
24 Q3: 1,974
Interesting numbers. Seem to recall 3 or 4 years ago when Labour dis-incentivised utes the cheapest BEV then was the Leaf, ~$50k with a slightly more up market one at about $55k. Within 3 months or so after the BEV "subsidy" the bottom range leaf went off the NZ market. The well off jumped in to buy Tesla's. The majority of Kiwis were not in a position to buy a Leaf. No doubt Labour's chardonnay types availed themselves of the Teslas.
My recollection is Tesla like most manufacturing priced to the cut off. What the clean car rebate did was encourage importers to bring in cleaner vehicles. Some people like the smell of an internal combustion engine. Others understand it's toxic and and breathing in diesel and petrol exhaust isn't wise.
I mean it shouldn't be surprising to see EV sales increasing. As any new technology matures and gains public acceptance, there will be increased uptake. That doesn't necessarily make it a new paradigm, or mean that it's going to completely replace anything else.
What's unfortunate is how politicised the whole thing has become. If you drive an EV you're a woke lefty, if you don't then you're a far-right conspiracy theorist. Tesla owners who hate Elon Musk are having a full-blown identity crisis. It's just a car.
But there will be hickups on the way.
For example the early adopters have adopted.
And now that road user fees (which would have had to come in at some point), will be affecting the net present value calculations.
And as the technology matures and perhaps converges on the most cost effective battery/ motor configurations, the previous cars will be worth even less than they are now.
And of course some manufacturers will go bust. Which will dramatically affect the residual values of their cars and may affect the desire to buy from manufacturers tainted by the ones who have gone bust.
Bought a leaf 6 years ago as an import with a limited range. For 5 years it manged my daily commute of 88 km's. With the money I saved on fuel, I bought my very first brand new car a bev. Still saving money buy not burning fossil fuel.
The leaf can still do 88 kms on charge at highway speeds in the summer just not the winter. Current generation and the last generation of batteries are worth every dollar.
This can't be right, my mate says that the whole EV fad is over. :D
Like many things this government has done, they are setting the country back by slowing EV adoption. So we won't have the infrastructure in place we need for the future. Both public and private charging. EVs will continue to get cheaper, we are right on the tipping point now. Very soon you'll be paying more upfront for an ICE vehicle, rebate or no rebate. Progress and technology advances regardless of your feelings. It's coming. That future also includes a significant proportion of ICE manufactures going bust within the next decade.
They're runout though. Because LDV have probably sold a hundred or so of these, while the country buys 2500 Toyota Hiaces a year.
Commercially they're still half baked. As soon as you add weight, you lose range, and commercially a vehicle that can go 500ks with a 60 second "recharge" is worth way more than one you fuel for less, that's on the road less. The LDV needs to be out of action for 2hrs before it can get the same range (and that's with it being empty). Factor in a driver not doing anything while it's charging (unless you have two edelivers with one always on charge), and it's a very expensive proposition, or only suitable for niche customers, who don't need the extra utility.
Hence, extremely little traction in EVs who's primary role is anything other than moving human bodies about - which is kinda low tier of most of our energy consumption. Most everything else you're doing is dependent on fossil fuels for either materials or transport.
That'll likely change, but it's a fair few years yet, and an LDV edeliver is a paperweight.
LOl, you're doing great at making shit up today.
If a tradie is doing 300kms a day at an average speed of 80kph. (optimistic in Auckland) They've wasted 4hrs on the road instead of doing productive work.
And you recharge overnight. If you need a top up during the day it's not 2 hours, its 45mins to 80% on a DC charger, but chances are you won't need 80% you probably need an extra 20% or so to get you home so plug in, grab a pie and drink and by the time you you've finished your pie you're good to go.
The LDV goes 220ks unladen. Practically, that'd be 150ks once loaded up with a full complement.
The average light commercial van does just over 100ks a day. So you're covered on the average, but not on days where you're going over (most tradies aren't travelling the same distance every day).
You can recoup travel time, an extra $100 fee for the time expended charging the vehicle could be a tall order to claw back.
If these stacked up commercially and practically then businesses would lap them up.
Weight has far less of an effect than you think, the big problem would be if you added roof racks and ladders etc, and tried going motorway speeds. Aero is the big killer.
Edit: I just went back and re-read the review I copied the text below about the e-deliver3 from and realized he's talking crack, no way is the 400km range possible in a van with a battery that size, they must be using something like the completely nonsense Chinese range standard. The 243(Evdb)/227 km range is WLTP for the bigger battery, the small battery one was discontinued and would have been a dog of a thing. Sorry.
****
Ps: The eDeliver 3 is available with a choice of batteries. The entry-level van gets a 35kWh battery which allows for up to 280km of range on a single charge, while the 52.5kWh option bumps this figure up to 400km off a single charge. Getting into the bigger-battery van will set you back an extra $5000.
So likely you easily get 220km range loaded up with gear, not this 150km figure you pulled out of your ass.
Their website says 227ks.
Some studies evidence a 25% reduction in range, when a commercial EV is carrying close to it's capacity. Factor in the appendages you mentioned and temperature variabilities, 150 isn't unreasonable.
My comments aren't that outlandish. I run the numbers every 6-12 months for replacing some of my commercial vehicles. I can even buy some electric models used for less than the equivalent ICE version, but I can't get a vehicle that suits all my applications. I can get close, but then I'd still need a backup ICE for when the EV doesn't work.
Good to know a business can overcome range issues and downtime by inserting even more money though.
That's actually the manufacturers fault.
Concentrating on the wealthy higher end. Most people don't need motorised retractable door handles and a 17" centre console, they want cheap, reliable efficient transport.
The prices of EVs have dropped below what they were 2 years ago, when it had a government subsidy. Basic economics says we should be selling way more of them, but the good people aren't buying. They can quickly do a cost benefit exercise and discount them as an option.
If you want a BEV, hybrid, PHEV then go any buy it. Don't rely on the govt to subsidise you including charging stations.
I'd be happy to slap a 25% tax, excise duty whatever on any ICE car above 1.6l or hybrid. Nothing to do with emissions and saving the planet. Predominantly cutting the countries fuel bill
I'd suggest a very high percentage of cars can be considerably smaller than what's on the road now.
I use cars in the broadest sense and somehow exemptions need to be given on genuine businesses who need vehicles > ICE 1.6l engines
As if the vast array of rare earth metals and other mining/refining which go into a high tech product like an EV isn't "destroying the planet" and killing people. The ethos that EV consumerism is a better kind of consumerism than ICE consumerism may be true on the margins, but on the whole it's just a more modern consumerism.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics. While what you are saying is true, China continues to burn record or near record amounts of coal. China: coal consumption 2023 | Statista
I had a plug in hybrid and got rid of it before it was going to drop too much in value. Before I did that I was thinking seriously about going BEV but I changed my mind when I saw the huge very quick depreciation on BEV’s. So I have gone back to petrol. A car that someone will want to buy off me second hand. And I have a spare tire again which is great. People who buy electric to save some energy costs are going to be disappointed. The depreciation they will experience will far outweigh the cost of electricity versus petrol. I miss driving electric but I am not prepared to be slaughtered when I try to sell one or trade one in.
I would have to give it away as it’s third hand by then. I am not prepared to lose that much. Now I have a Japanese petrol car that will depreciate much slower than a bev. It has a full spare and is a very popular family car so it will be easy to shift in the future. (It’s not a RAV4.). When I was selling my PHEV I quickly found out that like BEVs they were not popular and you are going to take a large hit when selling them. As far as I am concerned buying petrol is far cheaper a cost than the depreciation electrics cars are currently being hit with. Throw in the extra tyre wear, extra insurance costs and road user costs you are well behind the eight ball. I have not talked about range anxiety and the time delays when recharging yet.
The only argument for buying a new ice car is to keep oil producing nations afloat.
Or if you live rurally, tow anything, drive long distances for leisure or work, value an established network of fuel stations etc etc. You can't tip a bucket of electricity into an EV and keep driving right away.
I never even consider the resale of any car I buy, I don't treat them like fashion items, I drive them till they are knackered or till my needs change. Half the cars I've owned left on a tow truck to the scrapyard, others were given to family members/friends. Last one was mechanically sound but cosmetically very rough, sold that and it debuts in a new life as a racecar early next year.
You're also forgetting the servicing costs. So far I'm out a set of tyres and a pair of wiper blades after 55k & 2.5years.
Yea this. I used to buy second hand less than $5k, but last vehicle was new and is seven years old. Very little to service and run and expect at least twenty years from it. Did still have an old 1991 bighorn $3500, used it for the last 23 years but just sold for $200.
Resale worries are overrated.
How many vehicles are you ripping through ? When I add up my resale loses on the few cars I have owned over my lifetime and I'm heading for 60 now they have been minimal. One car I owned for over 20 years I actually sold it for $500 more than I bought it for. People are losing more money on an EV just driving it off the lot than I have lost in lifetime.
Well since some of their new models are just as good as Tesla ( but cheaper) quite far I suspect. It's all about scale.
China set a new record, with 1.3 million units sold in November 2024, which almost entirely came from battery electric vehicle sales (BEV) in that month, and brands including Geely, Tesla, and Changan sold the most.
China foresaw ICE death 10 years ago
- It is worth noting that, on an international scale, China is projected to generate the highest revenue in the Electric Vehicles market in 2024, with a staggering US$376.4bn.
- This highlights China's dominant position in the global Electric Vehicles market industry.
- China's electric vehicle market is booming, with government subsidies and a strong infrastructure driving rapid adoption
Battery swaps are not becoming a reality in NZ. The hoops that Tesla has to go through to get remanufactured packs into the country is ridiculous. They have managed to create a loophole that allows them to do it as they are required to offer an 8yr battery warranty as part of legal requirements. Good luck getting a battery replacement for a Tesla that is outside its manufacturers battery warranty. You can't get the remanufactured battery packs into the country as a private importer. Also, you can't replace individual cells because of the way that 3 and Y packs are made. Checkout any of the various 3 and Y battery teardown videos and you'll see why.
Yeah, calling BS on this.
Let's see you cite the regulation which requires them to offer an 8 year battery warranty in NZ.
And LFP packs in the RWD 3 and Y aren't hard to teardown. (https://youtu.be/nWrmE25H1Gc). That's 80% of the Teslas. The long range and performance models are a bit harder, because they use cylindrical cells, and there's about 3000 cells so a shit ton of connections to separate and reweld if you need to.
I don't think Shanghai has moved to structural packs with 4680 cells, which is the pack that is unrepairable because it's just a lump of pink foam once it's sealed up. Pretty sure they are doing the CATL CTP with prismatic cells, which won't be much different to the LFP prismatic cells. But I wouldn't worry, there will be plenty of donor wrecks once you are outside of warranty.
The issue for Tesla has been getting remanufactured replacement packs into the country. Trying to ship used car BEV batteries internationally is incredibly challenging and they have been given dispensation to do so because of the 8yr Tesla battery warranty that they globally offer. They simply stated we can't fulfill our legal obligations if you prevent us from shipping used battery packs to NZ.
Every battery pack that has been replaced in a Tesla is with a remanufactured (used pack). They take the age and milage of your vehicle when the battery failed and give you a remanufactured pack with simliar age and milage. Model X and S are notorious for this.
The video you have linked is great. It shows what the modules of an LFP battery look like. Now, pull the module apart and change a cell without inadvertently creating a bomb.....good luck.....
A prismatic cell is simply a bunch of pouches inside a metal outer.
In the US and EU, highly skilled independants can repair individual cells. The ones I have had dealings with are all ex Tesla employees. I doubt we have any in NZ.
Who gave Tesla dispensation exactly, and what regulation exactly prevents import of battery packs?
And only Tesla huh? What about all the other manufacturers with EVs in NZ? There have been several Hyundai EVs that needed replacement batteries. https://www.hyundai.co.nz/battery-recall
And nobody repairs cells, they identify the failed cells and swap them out.
And finally, why does it smell like I'm downwind of a large male bovine?
Tesla had to negotiate with the shipping lines as they all refuse to carry used EV packs. They officially received dispensation because of the global warranty obligation. I imagine the shipping lines also didn't want to run the risk of losing the car business.
The Hyundai battery recall was physically replacing old with new or a software update. You can ship new EV battery packs and components on the shipping lines.
Correct, people replace cells by opening up the module and removing the problem cell/s. Try doing that with a prismatic LFP battery and see how you get on.
Also, ask yourself why no manufacturer offers the service of replacing individual cells?
Scale, time and liability. Not worth training a guy or three, setting up a workshop of gear in NZ for a handful of batteries a year. Move it all to central point where there is enough volume to make it a full-time role for a few guys. And you aren't going to keep customers waiting months while you ship their pack to a central hub and back, so "here's one we prepared earlier"...
Maybe once the battery chemistry and designs have stabilised and volumes increased we'll get a battery refurb facility in Australia; and there will be private operators doing it outside warranty once we start getting decent volume of cars out of warranty, (there already are for Nissan leafs and Prius hybrid packs)
And splitting a few spot welds, removing the bad cell, then reassembling doesn't look all that hard on the LFP packs. But corporate elf and safety no doubt makes it much more difficult than it needs to be. And then testing etc. Time consuming so you need scale to automate the process.
As recently as three or four years ago I saw EVs as a woefully unready and underdone tech which would not be ready for prime time for another decade. Keeping an eye on EV developments out of China, I've been shocked at the lightning fast model and battery development going on there. Now I reckon EVs are going to be unstoppable from 2027 to 2028 on. But there are two huge caveats to this. In New Zealand our generation, transmission and distribution system will collapse if even every fourth house runs a 7KW AC fast charger. And secondly, anyone who buys an EV in the next year or so will be stuck with an obsolescent lemon once solid state batteries and much more advanced vehicle technology comes online. Being able to charge from 20% to 80% in ten minutes is going to be the standard. EV's aren't cars, they are closer to being mobile phones, and a five year old mobile phone has negligible resale value.
Apart from writing that, instead of nothing.
I'm pleased it's working out for you. If the benefits of these were obviously innate then the sales would be higher. Understanding why they're not (aside from you needing to think the only reason they're not is people's partisanship), could offer useful insight into what extra needs to be done for things to change in a substantive way.
Spose it's just better for you to think it's just because everyone else is somehow stupid or inferior.
What, like thinking the only reason people aren't falling over themselves en masse to buy one is because the gummint took away a subsidy?
It's hard to deny the advances in tech here are impressive, but it's also short sighted to not identify these don't solve everyone's problems in their current incarnation.
They just want the latest tech and justify the purchase with dreams of saving the planet, cost of ownership and having access to green loans. It's the same people who have to have the latest iPhone becuase they just do. It's like they can't be seen in public without one.
I have a Model Y performance as a daily and a 911 for fun. I like to drive and the Tesla gives me zero joy, but it is great at what it does. Every time I know i'm going to drive my 911 I get excited. The looks, smell, sound and handling is like nothing else. It's a proper event every time. I also understand that I'm not the norm and most people simply want something that gets them from A to B. My kids prefer the car that has Netflix in it.....
That we're lagging with transport electrification shouldn't really be a surprise, given the lack of a concrete development path for our public transport (that would let us leave our cars at home) or decarbonising heavy and long-haul freight.
The highlights:
- There's the odium attached by some to the virtue signalling involved in ostentatious and evangelical EV use, now not offset by a subsidy.
- Public transport that is hopelessly fragmented, meaning useful inter- and intra-city transport co-ordination is close to non-existent: try checking surfboard or a drop-saw and toolbox on to a bus that will drop you miles from where you actually need to go.
- A terrible EV charging network, and a power grid that's got capacity and reliability issues already. Coupled to battery heavy freight vehicles, that would have driven network improvement, being impractical because battery mass eats too far in to payload: the charging station network isn't going to improve any time soon.
- The high purchase price and savage depreciation in comparison to used ICE vehicles that so many need to participate in work and wider society, because our city forms, underwritten by rigorous professional ideology, are so heavily zoned.
- That many of the EVs don't meet our tastes. Example: we have one of the highest rates for tow-bar fitment in the world and many EVs have marginal tow ratings at best.
- A rail network that seems to be being ground down by fiscal paralysis, ideological absolutism, and special interest patronage all grappling with each other, so there's no real prospect of a fully functional rail system, let alone electrification that would decarbonise freight - admittedly at a hell of a cost.
One issue with the economics is the expenses are all in slightly more efficient versions of what already exists.
The jump from no roads or rail, to having personal and public transport at a much greater speed and range than a horse, is significant. The added benefit of upgrading rail to electric, or a car, is very marginal.
Global EV sales have been climbing, but that's driven by China, who are still building car ownership from a relatively lower base, and have adopted an aim of leading in EV manufacturing, at an economic loss (which helps drive sales via low prices).
Potentially to the "Average" person they will be seen as a simpler solution with less service costs to getting about for A to B. If you are a mechanic however and know how to look after an ICE vehicle because you have been doing everything yourself on them for the last 40 years you will run screaming from an EV. An EV just doesn't tick any of the boxes for me, maybe one day when they start making decent affordable single seater or two seater sports cars I will look at one. The battery tech and the weight of them has a long way to go, I think we will end up getting lightweight ICE cars when we are finally forced that way due to declining fossil fuels before ICE finally dies. The good news for ICE owners is that EV owners are extending the enjoyment for us rowing the 6 speed manual gearbox.
The Ionic 5 N looks like fun, but that's because it's mimicking the experience of an ICE with a manual gearbox.
But yes most modern cars (of any propulsion) are leaning way more towards disposable fashion items.
Every vehicle today should be made to last 40-50 years with nominal servicing. Instead it's closer to 10, because we've prioritized fashion over durability.
Well, my load hauler is a 30 year old 4WD Hiace that seems set for another few years yet and is more useful than a Swiss army knife. But it's a commercial Toyota so built to do enormous mileages.
On 478kW the Ionic will certainly shift, but will it be fun? And I'm not sure about a heavy vehicle on narrow sidewall tyres on NZ roads: I've blown a couple of those on a relatively light hatchback on the seal, and destroyed others on metalled roads. The faux-gearchanges and piping an artificial sound-track in to the cabin suggests they know they have an issue with sensory engagement.
The most fun cars I've driven have been light, nimble, simple and not particularly powerful. The old Alfa Sud, Fiat 127, Lotus Elise, and MX-5 all make me grin.
For new tech to achieve mass market adoption, they usually have to offer a much superior experience, ideally at a lower cost.
For something like Spotify vs Physical Media, Digital vs film cameras, the advantages are fairly distinct, outside of niche instances. The electric car, is not quite there.
We'll know when that happens, because they'll dominate new car sales.
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