The electric car boom.
With the booming trend towards ‘green’ technology, people are trading in their petrol cars for hybrid and electric cars. By 2050, it is forecast that 80% of cars sold internationally will be hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs). The increasing population and the oil price hikes have further pushed us to convert to electric vehicles. Previously, people had been reluctant to invest in electric vehicles due to the poor performance and inconvenience of frequent charging.
Electric efficiency, not petrol problems.
Some electric vehicles have outperformed their petrol counterparts, with electric sports cars such as the Audi R8 e-tron and Tesla Roadster slowly becoming common and feasible preferences to consumers. The frequent complaints of inconvenient charging, especially “when we’re in a rush”, has not been fully addressed, however, companies are pumping money into developing faster and more efficient charging processes. Tesla’s fast chargers add roughly 170 miles (273 kilometres per hour) worth of electricity in 30 minutes. We can look forward to the days of 5-minute charging and more electric charging stations to facilitate this emerging trend in the future.
Free road trip?
Petrol stations are now installing electric charging stations to meet the needs of electric vehicle owners. This initiative can be seen in small towns like Newstead, located at the north-west of Melbourne, where Mick Harris has replaced an old petrol station with an electric charging station, a great sign for the future. Acknowledging that these stations do not have power plugs that are “one-size fits all”, an issue that the industry will be sure to address as a priority.
Let’s welcome electric vehicles.
Many petrol heads still have heavy admiration for loud, gas-guzzling cars, and enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with a manual gear change. Unfortunately for those traditionalists, the electric car industry will slowly take over the automobile industry.
It might be a quieter drive, but the advantages that come with preserving the Earth are too hard to ignore. Long refueling times and a lack of consumer choice will soon be problems of the past. Now is the time to get excited about the benefits of electric vehicles!
