After last week’s recap on the History of Electric Vehicles, we’re looking at what might come next for electric motors
The first ever electric ‘car’ is thought to have first appeared in the 1830s, a contraption that was probably more like a stove oven on wheels than the electric motors knocking about today.
Yet despite being around for almost 200 years, the electric car – or whatever form it took way back when – has spent most of that time making very little progress.
In that same period, on-the-road numbers of petrol and diesel cars have exploded, along with the tech they rely on.
We all love a good stat
Last month the Government’s merry band of researchers and statisticians reported that just over three million vehicles were first registered in Great Britain in 2017. And of those, 53,000 were new ultra low emission vehicles.
However, back in 2013 – when the word selfie was added to the dictionary and everyone was losing their heads over the ‘Harlem Shake’ – that number was only 4,359.
It goes to show low emissions cars are quickly growing in popularity – a report by Emu Analytics believes there’ll be more than a million electric vehicles on the road in less than two years.
Whether you’re already on board with electric or not, it’s a trend worth taking note of.
The tech’s improving all the time
The new Nissan LEAF, for example, is just different gravy when compared with its older sibling from 2010. Building on what was already a solid entry into the green arena, the latest model is wading in on petrol and diesel sales.
Whilst those will always appeal on a large scale, the electric alternative has created a new market. Initially, the prospect of zero emissions was marred by a still-developing technology.
But now batteries are going further and there are charging points springing up all over. The latest models offer zero emissions in addition to impressive performance, which could be the main driver behind the huge increase in interest.
The Jaguar I-Pace is set to be the next EV milestone, with the first orders set to reach owners later this year. As the manufacturer’s all-electric debut, Jaguar has produced a car that not only looks the part but has some promising numbers behind it.
Despite being a fair-sized SUV, the I-Pace will do 0-60mph in less than 5 seconds, and it’s 400 brake horsepower will be handled by an all-wheel-drive traction system.
In addition, the range is only just shy of 300 miles on a single charge. And that’s calculated using WLTP – the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, a new process that works out fuel consumption and emissions more realistically.
Where from here?
Electric technology is coming on quicker than many would’ve predicted ten years ago – not least the Tesla Model S P100D with ‘Ludicrous’ mode, that’ll jump from 0-60mph in a ridiculous 2.5 seconds – quicker than you can say it’s full title.
Even that’s been around for two years now, but it gives an idea of where electric’s going. If current trends are anything to go by, ten years from now the roads could look very different, as well as sound a lot quieter.
If you missed it last week, have a nosey at our recap on the history of electric vehicles. And if you’re after a bit more reading, you can find more on the Lookers Electric Charge, a 2,000-mile trip through all of our dealerships using only electric and hybrid vehicles, to raise awareness and funds for automotive charity Ben.
