California has spent years trying to engineer what people drive. Regulators have added mandates, incentives, and restrictions into a single strategy aimed at pushing consumers toward electric vehicles. The assumption has been clear: if the state makes gasoline expensive enough and makes electric options appealing enough, drivers will follow.

But reality is pushing back.

Sony and Honda’s decision to scrap their $100,000 Afeela EV, originally planned for a California launch, is more than just a business update. It sends a clear signal. Automakers are retreating after losing billions. Consumer interest is weaker than expected. And even with gas prices near $6 a gallon, the market isn’t reacting as policymakers predicted.

California has offered tax credits, enforced strict emissions regulations, and set a 2035 deadline to end new sales of gas-powered vehicles. At the same time, these policies have contributed to some of the highest fuel costs in the country, effectively pressuring drivers to seek alternatives, whether they are prepared or not.

That elitist approach assumes consumers can handle the cost.

A $100,000 electric vehicle was never intended to be a widespread solution. But more affordable EVs still remain out of reach for many families, especially when considering charging infrastructure, insurance, and long-term reliability concerns. For working Californians, the issue isn’t ideology; it’s affordability.

Consumers are weighing cost, convenience, and practicality. They are not moving as quickly as regulators would like, and pushing too hard has caused backlash rather than adoption.

Let people decide what they drive based on what they can afford and what fits their lives. The government should not force families to make choices they are not prepared to make.

If the product works, people will buy it. If it doesn’t, no amount of pressure will change that.