Behind the EV price war is an all-out battle for the future of customer loyalty in the car business — and it could mean more discounts on the horizon

• Car companies are duking it out for the number-one spot in the burgeoning electric vehicle market.
• Ceding profits to market share is an expensive game of chicken, analysts warn.
• This will be a 'pivotal year' for establishing customer loyalty in the EV market.

Car companies are betting big on an electric future, but who owns those customers is still up in the air.

In a segment that accounted for just under 6% of the US car market last year, there's still plenty of room for brands to duke it out for the number one spot, long held by Elon Musk's Tesla.