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EV standoff like TV standoff when sets went from black and white to color

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TO THE EDITOR:

The subject of electric vehicles is mesmerizing. Omari Gardner’s “I was going to wait to get an EV, but the time to switch is now” (autonews.com, June 18) brought to mind what happened during the advent of color TV. The networks were reluctant to produce an abundance of color programming until more color TV sets were sold. The manufacturers were slow-walking production until there were more TV programs offered in color. It was a true standoff — in a way, the essence of the article.

Eventually, consumers began to come forward, and the logjam started to break away. With EVs, it’s beginning slowly but gaining steam every day as new technology surfaces and infrastructure improves. Add to this, the exciting new offerings coming on stream from automakers around the globe.

I’ve been serving automotive suppliers since 1980 — and much of that time as an Automotive News subscriber. I tend to watch a lot of what is happening both from a macro-consumer level and the goings-on in the parts and systems arena.

On one side, it will take individuals to move the needle — but I also believe, while the growth of EVs is inevitable, that in 15, 20 years and beyond, MBA program case studies will be chock-full of questions of “what if, why, and what were they thinking?”

JOSEPH GIACOMIN, Managing director, automotive practice, Angott Search Group, Rochester, Mich. Angott is an executive recruiting firm.

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