Electric cars are the future of automobiles. In fact, it’s already underway. Mainly because electric vehicles (EVs) are better for the environment by producing fewer emissions overall. Therefore from 2024, every new DS Automobiles model will ve available exculsively with a 100% electric powertrain.
If you haven’t made the jump to EV yet, you may be driving one sooner than you think. We’ll be answering common questions around the future of automobiles, and the benefits of electric cars.
Why are electric cars important for our future?
Electric cars do not produce any emissions when they’re running, thanks to electric vehicles having no combustion engine, unlike petrol or diesel. Emissions from cars seriously impact our climate, causing climate change and air pollution. Not only will electric cars benefit our atmosphere, but our health, too.
This huge advantage of electric cars is why the UK government have decided to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030. This ban is part of the government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions in the UK by 2050.
Of course, EVs still need electricity to be charged, which in some parts of the world is generated by burning fossil fuels. There is also the issue of how the electric vehicles are manufactured – making the lithium-ion batteries uses large amounts of energy. However, even taking into account the battery production and the electricity source, EVs in the UK have much lower carbon emissions than conventional cars. You can find out more about how green are electric vehicles in our guide.
What year will everyone be driving electric cars?
It is predicted thatIin 2025, 20% of all new global car sales will be electric, in 2030 this will jump to 40%. By 2040, mostly all cars sold across the world will be electric, according to forecasting by investment bank UBS. However, a Thomson Reuters report cites that despite all new car sales being electric in 2040, half of the vehicles on the road will still be petrol or diesel powered.
What about Hydrogen cars?
Hydrogen cars, also known as fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), produce no running emissions and are more efficient than petrol and diesel cars. However, there are practical issues around infrastructure. There are only a few hydrogen pumps around the UK, plus it’s far more expensive to fill up a hydrogen car than it is to charge an electric one. In addition, the production of hydrogen is energy intensive, and a lot of it is made by burning fossil fuels. There’s no doubt that hydrogen can become a practical solution in the future as methods are developed to generate hydrogen sustainably. But, until then, electric cars are a much better option.
Is the UK ready for an Electric Motoring Future?
Thanks to the UK's small land mass, it's less work to adopt a widescale charging infrastructure here than in larger countries. Plus, add in the fact that a typical car journey in the UK is 8.5 miles and will be more than covered in most EVs electric range, you can see the UK is well-equipped for an EV future. Not to mention that consumers in the UK “are often quick to embrace new technologies”, says Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Likewise, Rachel Maclean MP under-secretary of state for transport, stated Brits are “very keen to buy cleaner cars”.
But, if we are all going to be driving EVs soon, there’s no doubt the UK still needs more chargers. However, this will soon change with the government has recently pledged £20 million for councils to spend on street chargers in residential areas. What’s more, the UK is already changing, since last year there’s been a 30% increase in public charging points, amounting to 27,224 devices.
It’s clear the future will be electric, and the UK is certainly prepared. Will you be making the change too? Why not check out our electric and hybrid hub and find more about our fully electric DS 3 E-TENSE, or our latest plug-in hybrid DS 4 E-TENSE.
