In the last few years Electric Vehicles (EVs) have gone from lofty aspirations to an actual realistic option for the future of transport - that is free of combustion engines dependent on burning fossil fuels to drive the motor (vehicle) and thus a realistic possibility in future of a non-polluting non-emitting vehicular movement. For facility of understanding an EV is an automobile propelled by one or more electric motors (which give instant torque) that uses electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries.
Although the realization of that objective in its scale and scope is still years away but the very fact that EVs have come to occupy center-space in the entire future thought process is in itself a momentous shift. This is important to say the least and so as not to fudge the aspiration with actual situation on ground it is however important to recap some major Industry milestones that EVs have crossed in the last 5 years fueled by global concern on Green-house gases, climatic extremes and the rapid need for man to adopt to another (i.e environmentally friendlier) way to go from A to B .
Initiatives in recent years include:
1. UK launching the World’s first roadside Charging network
2. Accelerated deployment of plus 14000 public EV chargers by the EV project USA
3. Germany sets a goal of 1 million EVs on road by 2020 while GE announces plan while China has its own Long term EV development plan
4. TESLA , BMW , NISSAN , AUDI , VW and host of other known Car manufacturers move center-stage with their EV models line –up .
5. Growing number of Consumers who seek and demand EVs as their first choice.
The key impediments that still confront are delivering an economically priced EV , complex subsidy and permitting process , major infrastructural gaps , and still high Battery prices relative to performance. In heavily populated and pollution -riddled countries like India , China , south-east Asia – the EV promises an important relief but extensive groundwork needs to be done – including process of homologation certification and standards,safety regulations, charging platforms, battery –swapping stations and an entire eco-system including subsidy support that is supportive of encouraging shift to the EV .
Written byRajiv Dhawan