Today, the world is celebrating ‘EV DAY’. Usually when these global days come around I cringe a little bit, as they often seem like marketing efforts by particular industries, however this is one I can absolutely get behind.
Transitioning the world to electric vehicles will make a significant impact on reducing emissions from the transport and motorsport industries.
In 2020, EVs are still account for single digit percentages of market share, which is exactly why a day like EV DAY should be used to inform more people about the benefits of EV ownership.
Personally I had a goal of buying an EV for around 5 years and last September I was able to achieve that goal, buying a Tesla Model 3 Performance.
I’ve also had the opportunity to drive the original Mitsibishi iMiev, the Nissan Leaf (2nd gen) and reviewed the Jaguar iPace and Tesla Model S and X.
Electric Vehicles have less parts, offer less maintenance, less charging costs than refueling and therefore the total cost of ownership is often less than a comprable ICE car.
Sure, the up-front sticker price for a vehicle purchase is higher, but if you plan on keeping your car for 5-10 years, then you’ll end up way ahead.
The single biggest cost for an electric vehicle is the battery, which is a price that is coming down, as battery development advances and mass-production scale delivers some economic savings.
For many EV owners, myself included, transitioning to an EV was actually not event about being ‘green’. The level of performance, and often range, is now exceeding that of ICE vehicles.
Electric Vehicles aren’t just killing the manual transmission, but also automatic gearboxes, with EVs offering the simplest driving you could ever imagine. Typically driving an EV is a one pedal experience, thanks to regenerative braking slowing the car as you ease off the accelerator.
While that experience may sound like a boring driving experience, I can attest that’s far from the reality. The Model 3 from Tesla offers a really exciting drive.
Tesla (and others) are leveraging software in a more meaningful way in EVs. The power delivery from the battery and traction control systems are all software-driven and makes what is an incredibly powerful car, incredibly easy and safe for almost anyone to drive.
While not available in all EVs, performance enthusiasts can also enjoy their car at the track with options like Track Mode. This allows those who enjoy motorsport, to continue racing, just guilt-free as motorsports is a very optional activity, very different than a daily commute or delivery driver which are required for society to function.
What’s great to see in recent years is the emergence of Motorsport categories like Formula E, and soon Extreme E, that race all-electric vehicles, showing fans that racing can be still exciting, despite the lack of noise.
As someone who used to drive a car with an aftermarket exhaust, I’ve now completely disconnected my brain from aligning noise to performance and speed. As a red blooded Aussie male, that took a while, but now having excessive noise produced as you plant your right foot, seems a ridiculous prospect.
Accelerating in an EV is easily one of the funnest experience you can have with your clothes on.
Finally there’s the opportunities for autonomous driving. While it’s technically possible to implement some autonomous features in an ICE car, it’s clear that automakers are aligning this technology with the next generation of vehicles (EVs).
Thankfully in 2020, almost all automakers have EV plans in place and some have committed in big ways, transitioning their product portfolio by producing as many as 20 EVs in the next 5-10 years.
As the competition comes from all angles, the price points will inevitably come down and I look forward to EVs becoming more approachable in the coming years. As keen as some owners may be to make the switch, finances may dictate that they’ll never be able to spend more than $30k on a car.
With range and performance clearly landing in EVs favour, the only remaining factor is price.
Hopefully, when this COVID situation settles down, EV owners can again give rides to friends and family and win some more hearts and minds over to the future of transport.
Happy EV Day everyone.
Let us know in the comments if you own an EV already, are planning on buying an EV for your next car, or don’t see an EV in your future.
