I guess you don't read the Wall Street Journal, or otherwise follow automotive news. I don't feel a need to provide links for you.
> the others are indifferent to that quality
No auto buyer is indifferent to the choice of EV vs ICE.
How is that a failure? Slow sales are occurring across the entire auto industry probably because people are broke/unemployed and dont want to spend the cash right now.
I don't read the WSJ, but I do understand numbers. This site seems to indicate that 4% of global new car sales were electric in 2020, and 18% are electric at the end of 2023. https://ourworldindata.org/electric-car-sales
What are you reading that would indicate that an industry segment that is up 450% in four years has "failed"?
You have made an extraordinary claim, and refuse to back it up in the face of compelling evidence.
The rate of growth is falling, but the overall sales trend is still up. Perhaps you are confused with the math, and the difference between rate of growth and growth?
My analogy for the most intolerant wins is treating a decision-maker’s personal values as a population, one of which is “the most intolerant” and thus drives the decision because the others are indifferent to that quality.
There are a variety of aesthetic or prosaic values that might drive a decision for EV or ICE. A minority of those values will likely drive the decision since the majority will be satisfied by any number of options.