Not everybody is a believer
After more than a century of domination by the internal combustion engine, the age of the electric automobile is now upon us. Or so politicians and the mass media would have us believe.
Increasingly stringent emissions and fuel-consumption standards are acting as an effective stick, forcing automakers in that direction. And substantial subsidies on the R&D and manufacturing sides provide an enticing carrot.
Almost every major automaker in the world now has some sort of EV in its near-term plans. And new would-be automakers with electric dreams are popping up all over the world. Several fully-developed EVs are already in quasi-production and some will go on general sale as early as next year.
To help create a market for these vehicles, which typically carry a substantial price premium, governments at different levels are offering consumers tax breaks and subsidies of as much as $10,000 a vehicle. And they’re sweetening the pot with such perks as priority parking spaces and access to High Occupancy Vehicle lanes.
In this hyper-electric environment, who could deny the inevitability of their success?
Well, me for one.
I have no doubt that there will be a plethora of well-developed EVs available for people to buy. And I’ve driven enough of them to believe they’ll offer an acceptable driving experience for most consumers.
Except for two things: range and recharge time.
Those two factors have been the Achilles heel of EVs since their inception. And, although significant advances have been made recently in battery technology, they are still likely to be deal-breakers for a populace that has grown accustomed to driving 500 km between fill-ups that take just two or three minutes.
That’s why, in my opinion, battery-only EVs will be relegated to a small niche in the overall market for the foreseeable future. As for so-called ‘range-extended’ EVs – well, that may be a different story.
For a more in-depth look at the future of EVs, visit our website, www.canadianautodealer.ca.
