We have come far off from the point where electric vehicles stood ground apart from fancy cars. The electric cars in their current avatar are different beasts altogether, with improvements in mileage and huge battery capacity. With the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem developing fast and issues of high prices along with the availability of charging infrastructure are also being addressed, it is no longer the white elephant that it was.
Surviving the Covid times, people have become sensitive about environmental issues and sustainable living, as a result of which, opting for electric cars has become a matter of fashionable choice. Plus, the rapid strides in EV technology made EVs no longer a costly affair that portrayed EVs as highly-priced and less fuel-efficient.
Electric vehicles are taking up a majority of the market for new car purchases with more people drifting towards electrical outlets from the gas station. While we see Electric vehicles are becoming popular, and there are many reasons this is true, the vast improvement of cars and the on-road quotation is the primary motivator.
According to the International Energy Agency, the number of electric cars on road by the year 2030 is estimated at 145 million, quite a decent target from our current situation. Looking back at the EV sales in FY 2019 globally, the total number of EVs sold was 4.79 million, almost 22 times those sold in 2013.
These figures clearly state the winning spirits of EVs globally. Though what intrigues me is the evolution of Electric vehicles to grow and become the futuristic mobility solutions that they are deemed to be today, over the years.
The Evolution of Electric Vehicles
EVs are a hot topic in the future of mobility. Drivers are preferring electric vehicles for all types of reasons. Many hop on to buying EVs after hearing about the savings. An EV saves you $700 a year in gasoline expenses when an average of 12,000 miles is driven. Though we have witnessed a surge in the last decade, electric vehicles have been here for a reason.
The first prototype of the electric car was developed back in the 1800s by Anyos Istavan Jedlik, however, it was because of an American Inventor, Scotsman Robert Anderson, who developed the first electric car in the 1830s.
Though it was William Morrison’s invention of the first electric automobile in the USA in 1891 that boosted interest in electric vehicles. His six-passenger wagon topped out at 14 miles per hour and was known for its smooth, quiet rides along with the easy-to-control setup.
The early age gasoline cars required switches to shift gears that were dangerous and exhausting. Hence, people made a shift towards electric vehicles, leading to their popularity and demand.
While electric cars were celebrated by people till the early 1900s comprising 33% of the automobile industry, by the 1930s gasoline cars improved, prices dropped and the EVs vanished from the roads completely.
Moreover, roadways improved beyond the city limits and people wanted to explore. With slower speed and shorter ranges, EVs set unreal for such type of travel, consequently fuel cars taking over EVs.
Interest in EVs resurged in the early 1960s and 1970s because of increasing fuel prices and environmental concerns but it wasn't until the 1990s when EVs finally got a substantial push when GM motors mass-produced EV cars that had a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 80mph.
In a way, history repeated itself with the aspect of vehicle progression and electric vehicles were facing competition on and off to be on track.
The Future is Electric
In today’s era riddled with global warming and emphasis on cutting carbon emissions, the uptake of EVs looks inevitable.
A study suggests the EVs market will explode by 2030 with the highest surge of 32% sales in the USA, from 7% to 34% in China, and 30% of vehicles will be electric in India.
EVs have penetrated the automobile industry with two-wheelers, three-wheeler, and four-wheelers. There are many prime leaders setting the pace for the EV evolution and Mecwin Technologies help these industry leaders with the high-efficiency EV motor.
India’s Clean Energy Transition benefitting EV market
“India’s announcement to aim at net zero emissions by 2070 and to meet 50% of its electricity requirement with renewable energy resources by 2030, is a significant moment for the global fight against climate change.
Remaining below 15 degrees celsius has become everyone’s foremost priority and this has resulted in a significant shift in the manufacturing industry.
The Indian scale of transformation has been stunning. However, the sheer size and huge scope of growth signify growth in energy demand more than that of any other country. Along the journey to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, the estimate says that most of the current energy demand has to be already met with low-carbon energy resources. Therefore, PM’s announcement for 2030, including 500 GW of renewable energy capacity, reducing the emissions intensity of an economy by 45% and reducing a billion tonnes of CO2.
The targets may seem formidable but the clean energy transition in India has already overachieved its commitment made at CPO 21-Paris summit by meeting 40% of its power capacity by combustion fuels nine years ahead of its commitment. And the share of India’s solar and wind energy mix has grown phenomenally.
Moreover, subsidies for petrol and diesel were removed in the early 2010s, and subsidies for electric vehicles were introduced in 2019, giving citizens all the reasons to switch to electric vehicles.
As a large developing economy with 1.3 billion people, India’s migration and adaptation to renewable energy sources is transformational for the entire world.
While significant authorities like NITI Aayog and IEA are committed to working together to help India grow, small and mid-sized businesses like Mecwin Technologies are also putting their bit to help India industrialize and provide a better quality of life without the need to carbonize.