After All, Are Electric Vehicles the Future or Not?
Ricardo Oliveira
Boosting EV demand in mass market. Evangelizing AI tools - Futurist with a track record of over 30 years in the automotive industry, pioneering electric mobility and new trends.
In today's automotive sphere, opinions often polarize between “Yes, BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) are the future!” and “No, BEVs are not the future.” However, this binary often misses the nuanced dynamics at play.
A mere glance at the recent market trends illustrates a narrative of change. For instance, in Europe, the embrace of electric vehicles continues to gain traction over traditional gasoline-powered cars. In the first quarter of 2023, while gasoline car sales saw a modest 5% uptick compared to the same period last year, their market share dwindled from 36% in 2021 to 33% in 2023. In stark contrast, BEV sales skyrocketed by 45%, capturing a 14.2% market share in Europe during the first half of 2023. The widening gap between these two segments underscores a growing preference for sustainable vehicles, reflecting a broader shift in consumer and market trends within the European automotive sector.
Yet, not all sails are catching this wind of change equally. While some manufacturers went all-in on electric mobility, others chose a gradual transition. The diverging pathways have led to a stark reality: those who hesitated to decisively invest in electric mobility often found their BEVs' profit margins thinning, if not turning negative. As the market matured and macroeconomic conditions soured, BEV specialist manufacturers seized the opportunity to slash prices and gain ground. A case in point is the recent scenario where legacy OEMs like General Motors and Ford Motor Company in the United States, reeling from the financial hits of the historic UAW strikes, are now postponing their electrification agendas.
So, what's the roadmap to achieving environmental benchmarks? Is it to keep appending complex anti-pollution systems to combustion engines, or to gamble on costly synthetic fuels while leaving urban pollution unchecked?
At the crossroads, the beacon of change isn’t likely to be the clamor on social media, but the choices Customers make.
Electric vehicles are the best for contemporary driving conditions. They stand as a robust answer to local emission goals, boast lower operational costs, and are swiftly bridging the price parity with gasoline cars. Furthermore, they offer cheaper maintenance and higher reliability. The evolving charging infrastructure, coupled with the advancements in range and charging speeds, requires but a fraction of the investment poured into over a century of internal combustion engine development.
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In the upcoming edition of the World Shopper Talk-Show, we’ll delve into the sales behavior of electric vehicles and explore diverse strategies that could improve commercial results and productivity.
Ricardo Oliveira
17th November, Cascais, Portugal
In content production, we employ generative artificial intelligence to analyze extensive volumes of data.
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Business Coach & Senior Retail Consultant
1y2/2 In fact developing an electric power-grid is not cheap. Remember that it needs many km of high diameter copper cables to cope with the high kWh of the fast chargers we need. Expectedly, the price of copper is rising…
Business Coach & Senior Retail Consultant
1y1/2 I would say yes and no. Yes because it’s obviously the best solution for daily commuting, city mobility and pre-planned trips. For public transports, municipal services, etc., it makes no sense to use anything but electric and, whenever possible, with catenary system, avoiding the high cost and wheight of powerful batteries. No, because it cannot be used in ALL needs. For impredictable uses, like military forces, fire-brigades, some kinds of ambulances and, for the time being, for people with un-plannable activities. Although it is improving, we don’t have yet a reliable charging network. (At least in Portugal and the south of France, where I am working currently). Considering the speed of infrastructure development, I don’t see a strong improvement very soon. In fact, my experience travelling electric to the south of Portugal showed that in many cases, the problem was not the lack of chargers, or unavailability. Some times it was the lack of power in the grid that prevented us from using them, making us leaving the motorway and search for a Lidl supermarket. (I strongly recommend; fast chargers, good prices and normally not so far from the motorway. Additionally they have a cafe and you can buy water or some usefull things).