Changing perspective on EVs

Until recently many carmakers ignored getting involved in developing electric vehicles (EVs) adopting instead a strategy of “wait and see.”
They had different reasons for doing so including fear of investing in the wrong technology; consumer apathy; poor infrastructure and high price of batteries.
There are also many alternatives to EVs that consumers happily buy such as hybrid, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid.
The recent drop in oil prices did not help to push moves into electric vehicles.
Then in the last year a few developments in the market changed perspective on EVs.
First, it was the “diesel-gate” scandal, more clean-air regulations in cities around the world and commercial success of several electric vehicles such as Tesla and Nissan Leaf. Also, cost of batteries dropped and their technology improved so much that it is now viable to have EVs covering 300 km between charges.
This opened the floodgates for companies to pile in with announcements of forthcoming EVs.
Even companies that were reluctant to venture into electric powertrains such as Jaguar Land Rover have confirmed an “I Pace” electric SUV that would be in the market by 2018.
Consumers are encouraged by the longer-range batteries and the developing infrastructure of charging points.
Many city drivers are considering an EV in the next three years as they are getting reasonably-priced to buy, easier to maintain and cheaper to run.
Germany alone wants a million electric cars on the roads by 2020. Buyers are getting incentives to dump their old diesel cars for new electric ones.
A good infrastructure investment on GCC level would be the construction of charging points for EVs.
Car companies are ready to share with ideas and technology but they need a level of governments’ commitment similar to what they see in other countries.
The benefits of electric powertrains for cars are clear.
In addition to saving on subsidized fuel, Gulf congested cities would have cleaner air.
That is a goal worth pursuing.

•Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist based in London.