AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Despite the stiffening headwinds in the electric vehicle market, a local Chevrolet dealership plans to increase its inventory of EV models throughout the year, as buyers become more aware of EV features and whether these models are the right fit for their lifestyles.
“The EVs will soon account for 10% to 15% of our inventory,” says Kevin Lawson, sales and leasing consultant at Greenwood Chevrolet in Austintown. “That is a huge improvement from what we’ve seen in the days of the [Chevrolet] Bolt and Bolt EUV.”
Lawson acknowledges owning an EV isn’t for everyone and notes that sales in the segment have leveled since the dealership first began selling EV models in earnest last year. “I wouldn’t say it’s a downturn, but I wouldn’t say it’s a spike either,” he says.
Lawson says the Equinox EV has proven a favorite among buyers over the past year because of attractive lease deals, manufacturer and federal tax credit incentives and the general appeal of an EV, Lawson says. “It’s definitely one of the vehicles that interests a lot of our customers,” he says. “It’s size, it’s battery range and the price is what’s really attracting people from the Mahoning Valley.”
A $7,500 federal tax credit toward the purchase of qualifying EVs remains in effect, though a budget bill winding its way through Congress calls for these incentives to be curtailed by next year and eventually phased out.
“We’re not really seeing evidence of a pullback on EVs,” Lawson says. “There’s still an attractive lease program on these, and a lot of the vehicles still qualify for those tax benefits. They haven’t rolled those back yet.”
It’s unclear as to whether these tax incentives will be intact next year because of the pending legislation, Lawson says, but it so far hasn’t dampened interest in the EV segment at the dealership.
Among the efforts intended to promote interest is Greenwood’s EV test drive program, Lawson says. “It’s a program where you can take the vehicle for four days, put 500 miles on it, and get the real feel of the vehicle,” he says. That way, a driver can better ascertain whether an EV meets their needs. “I think the biggest thing stopping people from buying EVs is fear of change.”
Moreover, Lawson says the growing lineup of General Motors EV products – especially the Chevrolet brand – has helped generate more interest this year. Refreshed body styles, as well as new editions of popular EV models, has provided more options for customers, he says. “That evolution has really helped drive demand.”
General Motors reported June 9 that its EV sales had nearly doubled through the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Through May, GM reported that it had sold 62,830 electric vehicles, with Chevrolet emerging as the fastest-growing brand with 37,620 EVs sold in the United States during the period, the automaker said. GM is scheduled to announce its second quarter sales on July 1.
“Customers are responding in record numbers to our world-class portfolio of electric and gas-powered vehicles,” Rory Harvey, executive vice president and president of global markets, said in a statement. “In the first two months of the second quarter, we more than doubled our EV sales compared to the same period last year.”
New Versions, Battery Tech
The Greenwood dealership, for example, is awaiting the arrival of the Chevy EV Blazer Super Sport, or SS, Lawson says. “It’s one of those that General Motors and Chevrolet are really touting,” he says. “The performance on that vehicle is beating many gas-powered vehicles. So, we’re excited to finally get one of these and to share that performance with our customers,” he says.
The new Blazer SS packs a punch for performance enthusiasts, adds Jim Conlin, new car manager at Greenwood. “It’ll be the quickest SS model that Chevrolet has ever produced – and can go from zero to 60 [miles per hour] in 3.4 seconds,” he says. The SS also features a battery range of 303 miles, 22-inch wheels and standard Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driver assistance technology. “It’s a nice upgrade,” he says.
Conlin says he’s also awaiting a Trail Boss version of the 2026 Silverado EV pickup, which was announced in May and should begin arriving in showrooms this summer. This trim includes an extended battery range of an EPA-estimated 410 miles, with a GM-estimated maximum range of 478 miles, and a factory-installed lift, he says.
“As with all technology, every day it seems like we’re getting more advanced and newer features,” Conlin says.
Among the most recent breakthrough is the announcement in May that Ultium Cells, a partnership between GM and LG Energy Solution, would begin producing lithium manganese-rich, or LMR, prismatic battery cells for future GM electric trucks and SUVs. The new chemistry uses a higher proportion of lower-cost manganese for battery cathodes, thereby reducing costs while increasing capacity.
“The batteries will still have great range,” Conlin says. “We should still receive 400 miles-plus on models such as the Silverado, but at a reduction in price.”
General Motors has also introduced a new EV charging program that is included in a customer’s lease contract, Conlin says. “It’s called GM Energy,” he continues. Under the program, a customer has the option of purchasing two different types of EV chargers for their home.
The chargers are still considered Level 2 chargers, Conlin says. However, these charging systems are capable of powering EV batteries at an accelerated rate when compared with an eight-kilowatt charger that comes with the vehicle.
“There’s an 11-kilowatt charger, which will supply 30 to 40 miles of range after an hour,” he says. “There’s also a 19.2- kilowatt charger, which could supply between 60 and 100 miles of range per hour.”
The 19.2 kilowatt station is also capable of bidirectional charging – meaning it is able to store energy and transfer that power to a house in case of a power outage – when a user combines it with an additional hardware package, he says. Conlin says the GM Energy program started rolling out last year.
Pictured: Jim Conlin, new car manager, and Kevin Lawson sales and leasing consultant, of Greenwood Chevrolet, recharge a Chevrolet Equinox EV.