They give a number of reasons
A group of 3,882 dealers has sent a letter to US President Joe Biden asking him to ease requirements for mandatory sales of electric vehicles in the future.
In a letter dated November 28, 2023, the dealers state that while BEVs are ideal for many people, “today's demand has not kept pace with the large influx of BEVs entering dealerships.” They further state that these rules are unrealistic based on current and projected consumer demand. The letter says that no one knows about car buyers better than the dealers themselves.
Key issues from a dealers' perspective include charging infrastructure. Customers who don't have the ability to charge their car at home are forced to rely on a public network. Additionally, they say customers are “concerned that BEVs are expensive.” Some customers have to deal with bad weather, which can reduce range. Others have to travel so far that charging is often not entirely practical. Still others have to tow discharged cars.
Mr. President, it is time to put the brakes on the government's unrealistic EV mandate. Give battery technology time to evolve. Give time to make electric vehicles more affordable. Give time to develop internal sources of minerals to make batteries. Give time for the charging infrastructure to be built and prove its reliability. Most importantly, give the American consumer time to become comfortable with the technology and make the choice to go electric.
Excerpt from the letter
A recent study found that dealer markups alone account for 35-60% of all U.S. auto price inflation.