Well, around 1/6th of families in Canada have 3 or more children[1]; that's not the majority but it's not "atypical" either. Add to that the number of stepfamilies, which can get pretty big, and I think you're looking at a sizable segment.

3-child families might fit in a sedan or crossover, but they'll be much more comfortable in a minivan or similar, and most of them actually do shop for bigger, 3-row vehicles.

I think it would make much more sense for a manufacturer to try and get a good percentage of that niche rather than compete and get a sliver of the mainstream. That's the advice we generally tell new freelancers (find a niche) and it also applies here.

I don't think there's any particular considerations around electric drivetrains and 7-seaters that would change suitability, except 2 things:

- bigger vehicles do consume more energy, but you have a lot more room for batteries.

- Minivan buyers aren't particularly concerned about performance; you don't have to make the fastest thing out there and it'll still sell. (up to a point, though: I rejected the Sienna after a test drive because it was just so sluggish and noisy.)

[1]: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=981001...

> Why would it make more sense for car companies to target more niche segments for electric vehicles?

This thread is about failed EV plans, so I guess with hindsight we should be saying that targeting the mainstream segments didn't make much sense.

But I guess if you want some reasons - niche segments are poorly served. A "pretty good" EV should stand out; in a highly competitive market a "pretty good" EV is one of the worst choices available. Niche segments are not high volume. You don't need a battery gigafactory to meet demand. You won't have multi-year waitlists and huge dealer markups that turn definite buyers into angry non-customers.