It really is that simple. It doesn't even have to do that much with cost, at least not for the vast majority of Americans. EV market share for new car sales in the US peaked at about 10.5% in 2025 only because the people who were on the fence about buying an EV took the plunge due to the impending phaseout of the EV tax credit. Now that the tax credit is gone (as Trump promised during the 2024 campaign), EV market share for new car sales is down to about 5.8%. And that 10.5% in 2025 was up from about 8.7% in 2024, meaning there weren't as many people on the fence as anticipated.
America's car culture is something that many Europeans and purple-haired Americans just don't understand. ICE vehicles are going to dominate the US market for a long time, because that's what most Americans want. Even among the small percentage who want an EV, it just isn't feasible for many (most?) of them to own one, for a variety of reasons. That's why Tesla (smartly) focused on the luxury segment, and have about 60% of the US EV market. EVs will remain a niche market in the US for a long time.
By the way, for people who say the US will be cut off from the trend elsewhere for EVs, well, so be it. In fact, ICE technology continues to improve. There is still lots of R&D going on to improve fuel efficiency, performance, etc. Some EV proponents seem to think ICE technology is just standing still, when nothing could be further from the truth.