The Future Is Green: EVs and What Is to Come
Despite the entity of an electric vehicle existing for well over a century now, the popularity and practicality of mass production has only seen a rise to fame in the past few years. First came a significant push for investment in terms of the hybrid, however, with a renewed sense of environmental conscience, the time has come for an all-electric fleet.
Is It Likely?
In early 2018, the UK government proposed that by 2030 the motor vehicle industry in the UK would have to exist as majorly electric. Despite the fact an all-electric future does appear to be realistic, the time frame which has been suggested does seem slightly optimistic, unless something particularly extravagant is to be done in the immediate future — critics arguing that more intensive measures need to be implemented if three out of five vehicles are to be EVs in just over 10 years.
In 2017, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the word on the tip of everyone’s tongues was ‘electrification’. The term, which was intertwined into every major brands’ announcement, effectively suggested that every car manufacturer will have rolled out electric alternatives to their popular internal combustion engine options within the next few years.
Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes Benz, insinuated at the event that they will have electric vehicles versions of their entire fleet, including the Mercedes A Class, by 2022. However, this is not to suggest that their proposal doesn’t include hybrids, which combine the use of electricity and fuel.
The Reasons Why
Regardless of whether it is using paper straws as opposed to plastic ones, or using reusable drinking bottles as opposed to single use ones, taking measures to protect the environment is a major priority in 2019.
Not only does using an electric vehicle cause less damage to the environment, it is also significantly reducing your bill when it comes to refuelling, or re-energising. A full re-fuel of a 60 litre diesel or petrol tank can cost anywhere up to £70. On the other hand, a full tank in an electric vehicle often translates into as little as £3.
One major positive in regard to the increase in electric motors on the roads is the fact it is help deduce the emissions in the air. Plans have been drawn up to stop the production of diesel and petrol cars by the year 2040, and electric vehicles are undoubtedly going a long way in helping the government and motor industry alike, achieve this.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on a bid to clean up the air in the capital, recently introduced ULEZ, which places tariffs on certain cars entering the city centre. It is expected that major motorways and other cities throughout the country will soon follow suit. Is anything being done to facilitate this movement?
As of February 2017, reports suggested that were 12,000 electric car charging points across the UK. By July 2018, this figure had risen by a whopping 70 per cent, to 17,000, across 6,000 different locations.
The world now has more than two million charging ports; however, critics have also suggested that this is not simply enough to cater for a global switch to EVs. Besides this, an increase in the number of EVs will also rely on an increase in the requirement for batteries — which similarly requires energy to establish!
Popularity
Alongside the fact electric cars have a tenth of the amount of moving parts than their diesel or petrol alternatives, EVs are powered by renewable energy — electric — meaning they do not depend on the continuous availability of fossil fuels.
As previously mentioned, the future is clearly veering towards electric, however, the specific time frame in which this will occur is yet to be seen, so watch this space as manufacturers across the globe compete against one another to dominate this market.
