Auto Columnist Henry Payne Sheds Light on the Future of Electric Vehicles, Why Major Manufacturers Are Investing So Heavily

Southfield (CW50) - Have you ever driven an all-electric car? Would you ever want to own one? Even as the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) grows, many people are still reluctant to purchase one. This hasn't stopped major manufacturers from getting into the game with a goal of resolving consumers concerns.

Henry Payne, Auto Columnist for The Detroit News, was one of the many who were reluctant to purchase an EV, until he sat behind the wheel of one. Payne has now owned two EVs in his life. He owns a Tesla, and even uses it on the track. The high performance capabilities is one of the main reasons he fell in love with EVs.

He joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to discuss his thoughts on why major manufacturers are investing so heavily in EVs, and he addresses concerns that people may have with owning one.

One of the main concerns consumers have with purchasing an EV is infrastructure. Infrastructure is key, as you can find a gas station nearly anywhere you look and rarely is it a concern if you'll be able to fill up your combustion engine car before the gas runs out. However, this isn't the case for EVs, as the amount of charging stations for the vehicles is growing but still only make up a fraction of the amount of gas stations around the country. Luckily, the ability to charge an EV in one's own home helps those consumers who are mainly commuters by charging their car overnight, but leaves others who enjoy long road trips with some concern.

The popularity for electric vehicles is growing, but it may still be decades before these cars make a major dent on the car market. Major European and Asian manufacturers have been increasing their investments toward a future of all-electric. Now American auto manufacturers like Ford and GM have joined in with multi-billion dollar investments of their own to produce all-electric vehicles.

Watch COMMUNITY CONNECT, Saturday at 7am on CW50