Are Electric Vehicles the Future?
Are Electric Vehicles The Future?
A few decades ago, electric vehicles seemed like something from a sci-fi movie.
With advancing technology and more affordable prices, EVs are quickly becoming the mainstays of our highways.
With some countries banning fossil fuel production and future petrol and diesel car sales soon, the demand for quality cars is now greater than ever.
But are electric cars the future?
In short, answer absolutely YES, there are multiple significant advantages over internal combustion engines.
Or will they be condemned to being a mere footnote in the story of automobiles?
Again, in short answer NOT, electric vehicles’ future is going in the right direction with a variety of cars available, with a longer range than ever before and because consumers buying them now. It’s not as “shocking” as, let’s say, a few years ago to purchase and drive a fully electric vehicle.
What Are the Advantages of EVs?
Electric cars have numerous environmental and economic benefits.
With the environment in such a precarious position, it’s never been more critical to invest in sustainable energy and implement it globally.
Hybrid vehicles, like the Honda Insight, are a step in this direction, offering both fuel efficiency and lower emissions. You can read more about a hybrid vehicle’s real-world performance and benefits in our detailed review.
Rechargeable Battery Technology
Battery electric vehicles run on lithium-ion batteries that do not require fuel to charge on.
This eliminates the need for harmful fossil fuels and reduces the world’s carbon footprint.
A standard electric car battery will run around 200-300 miles, comparable to their gas and diesel counterparts, and produce no emissions.
Electric vehicles are one of the fastest, most rapidly growing segments of the car industry, going hand in hand with a wide-range electric grid connecting charging stations for EVs.
Most charging stations belong to Tesla, which is around 20000 worldwide.
Second place (with almost 4000 charging stations by the end of 2020) is Electrify America, created by Volkswagen after their diesel emission scam in 2016, which ended with a $2 billion settlement between the US and California regulators and Volkswagen Group.
Electrify America must spend $2 billion by 2026 on consumer education and electric charging station infrastructure as a penalty.
Those are the two most prominent players in the supply chain, but other companies are also on the market with charging stations like Chargepoint, EvBox, Evgo, Blink, and more.
For car owners, switching to an electric car will contribute to the planet’s well-being without sacrificing your car’s performance.
Electric cars are also substantially less noisy than an internal combustion engines, meaning they do not contribute to noise pollution issues that often plague cities and roads.
Despite being quieter, electric vehicles are becoming just as (if not more) powerful than their fossil fuel-powered competitors.
Electric Cars May Cost More, But They’ll Save You Money in the Long Run.
The technology behind electric cars is still a relatively novel concept.
Only in the last few years have they presented themselves as a viable, realistic alternative to conventional automobiles.
As a result, EVs are generally more expensive to buy (for now).
However, the maintenance costs for EVs are substantially lower than gas or diesel ones.
The absence of internal combustion engines considerably reduces the car’s overall costs in the long run, saving consumers considerable money over the years.
- For example, no oil changes (the electric engine doesn’t need motor oil to work), no spark plugs replacement, no fuel filters, transmission fluids, none of this stuff.
- Also, brake pads and rotors don’t need much attention since an electric motor uses the regenerative braking system to decelerate the vehicle’s speed without using brakes.
- In the process, convert kinetic energy created during the “engine braking” back into the battery pack’s electricity.
Are Electric Cars Becoming More Popular?
The simple answer is YES, 100% no doubt about it. The best example is Norway showing 2020 market share for new vehicles car sales as follow:
54% – fully electric
20% – plug-in hybrid
9% – non-plug-in hybrid
8% – petrol only
9% – diesel only
That proves and answers the question that EVs have become more popular than ever.
It’s only a matter of time to see the same or similar statistics from many other countries worldwide.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic causing widespread economic harm to people worldwide, EVs saw a considerable uptake in sales of passenger cars.
Tesla, the most popular EV brand, sold more than 500,000 units in 2020, while the overall business saw sales increase by 43%.
The second biggest is Volkswagen Group, which includes multiple car brands like a Porsche with Taycan, Audi E-Tron, and brand new VW ID.4
Below is a list of EVs for potential future car buyers (random order) to choose from in 2021, with various body styles and price points.
- Prices and ranges listed on 04/06/2021
Although electric cars took a while to catch on with the public, their strong performance last year indicates they’re well on their way to becoming widespread.
Electric cars are certainly no fad. Rapid advancements in technology, combined with reducing costs and increasing popularity, are hallmarks of a technology that is well on its way to becoming mainstream.
The long reign of fossil fuel cars are well on their way to coming to an end, as a healthier, more sustainable form of technology prepares to take its place.
References
https://pod-point.com/guides/driver/benefits-of-electric-cars
