"Electric cars have been around for almost as long as conventional petrol and diesel powered vehicles, but until the last two decades they had only received fleeting attention.
Nowadays a host of car manufacturers find themselves spending millions each year with the same goal in mind: cheaper and more efficient electric vehicles (EVs) that could potentially pose a genuine threat to the pre-eminence of the internal combustion engine.
Despite their efforts, and the added government grants designed to get motorists on the electric bandwagon, sales of EVs have stagnated in the UK, with a mere 2,000 currently on the roads. Are the government’s electric dreams worth saving, or is it time to pull the plug?
With oil prices skyrocketing and environmental concerns at the forefront of policy, there has perhaps never been a better time for alternative modes of power to challenge petrol’s dominance. Although hybrids – those utilising both electric motors and internal combustion – have managed to attract a respectable number of motorists in recent years, pure electric vehicles have faced a real struggle to tempt car owners away from fossil fuels, with several reservations constantly recurring.
Chief among these is ‘range anxiety’, the persistent doubt that has eaten away at many a would-be EV driver. With a current range that typically tops out at around a hundred miles on a full charge, EVs simply do not have the staying power that motorists seem to crave, and until this issue is solved or downplayed this will probably remain the case. Despite the fact that studies have indicated around a 20 mile average is the norm for the UK’s car owners each day, motorists still seem entranced by the freedom and romance of the open road. Even if they are never likely to travel over a hundred miles, the potential is always there, and the nagging doubts linger on.
Range anxiety isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, but a recent announcement suggests that EV advocates are at least starting to tackle the problem. Ecotricity, the green energy company, have just launched the UK’s first national charging network for electric cars, comprising a series of free-to-use charging posts installed at motorway services across the country. In line with the company’s wider objectives, these are to be powered solely by wind turbines.
Electric vehicles are notoriously tangled up with wider energy concerns. Their environmental credentials are seriously dampened by the fossil fuelled power plants they frequently have to rely upon. Whilst on the surface a scheme aiming to utilise renewables to generate the charge looks a sensible one, sceptics have already questioned how the arrangement will work when the wind doesn’t blow. The fact that wind power and electric vehicles are both heavily subsidised has also made for an uneasy combination at times, but Ecotricity are keen to vaunt the long-term environmental necessity of both schemes.
The length of the charging times has been another contentious point. EV charging cannot yet match the speed of petrol refuelling, but some innovative solutions are being sought. A Californian company, Better Place, has been developing a network of battery exchange stations from which motorists will be able to swap their empty battery for a fully charged one. With the recent launch of Europe’s first battery switch station in Denmark, there are hopes that the technology may eventually make its way to Britain’s shores, but significant investment will be required to get the concept off the ground.
Charging the vehicles at home is likely to present even more challenges. Without access to off-street parking it becomes much harder to plug in, an issue that could go some way to explaining the slow uptake of EVs in the UK. However, there are some tempting propositions on the horizon for those able to charge their vehicles. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology would allow EVs to communicate directly with the grid, possibly with the use of an Internet connection. Their batteries could then be used to store excess power when demand is low and feed it back to the grid when demand is high, a process that could see EV owners paid for supplying that power. The current fleet of electric cars are not equipped for V2G, but it is hoped that the technology will be readily available within a decade.
Even with the habitual hesitations, EVs appear to be much better placed than other proposed transport solutions. Hydrogen-powered cars have been talked up for a long time, and even with promises of vastly increased range and zero emissions, the technology is still seemingly mired in the development stage. The UK can now boast one hydrogen filling station, but so far the vehicles have not been offered to the market. One school of thought would say that our dalliances with alterative cars are the wrong solution our transport woes: in this vision, cycling, walking and public transport should be receiving the lion’s share of government backing.
As sensible as it may seem to push for better use of public transport and foot power, there are still plenty of journeys that only a car is suitable for. The inertia of the EV market, despite government grants of up to £5,000 on offer, suggests that EVs will still have to come down in price before people are willing to invest. Additionally, and perhaps more troublingly, it suggests that electric cars have a serious image problem. While hybrids have broken into the mainstream thanks to substantial marketing and press coverage, EVs are desperately struggling for credibility. This does not always have to be the case, but it could take a huge effort before the negative stereotypes currently associated with EVs are reversed.
It was always going to be hard for electric vehicles to take on the might of oil. Car manufacturers might have a vested interest in the technology’s ecological credentials and long-term viability, but petrochemical companies are a powerful lobbying force with little to gain from an electric future. The challenges currently facing EVs beg the question: does the electric car fit into our vision of the future?
It may be frustrating to see the technology associated with EVs struggling to play catch up with our current logistical needs, but for now at least some pioneering schemes are showing that EVs may yet find a niche. An EV rental service named ‘Autolib’ is currently being trialled in Paris, with the aim of putting 3,000 electric cars on the streets by the end of 2012, coupled with an additional 1,000 charging stations. London is not far behind, with the ‘Source London’ scheme aiming to create a vast network of charging points across the capital.
London mayor Boris Johnson has spoken of his hopes for the scheme:
“I want to rapidly accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles and make London the epicentre of electric driving in Europe. Increasing numbers of motorists are opting for cleaner, greener electric transport, delivering a host of benefits to the driver including a 100 per cent Congestion Charge discount. This is set to deliver considerable environmental benefits to our city.”
The success of Autolib, Source London and similar schemes could have a huge bearing on the future of electric vehicles, but for now they demonstrate that EVs could find an ideal home in the city. A fleet of quiet, zero-pollution vehicles would not only make environmental sense, but the seemingly unshakeable range anxiety suddenly becomes less of a concern within the city limits, especially when combined with a network of charging points.
Does this represent a bright future? Only time will tell, but there are at least signs that electric vehicles have what it takes to find a place in our transport portfolio and contribute towards a greener future. For now at least the plug should stay in the socket."
Em: http://www.sustainablegov.co.uk/central ... ectric-car