The electric vehicle revolution has perhaps already started and it is an interesting concept that fuel might not be used in cars for much longer. In particular this has been the way of powering cars for most of the time since they were invented. But considering when cars were first invented they were electric. Which means it seems only appropriate that we are going back to their roots.

The idea that they will no longer cause harm to the environment is very appealing to most people. The main reason however, is that they are cheaper to power, as petrol is getting increasingly expensive. Implying that the revolution is underway.

When was the first electric car?

Electric vehicles first appeared in the mid-19th century. An electric vehicle held the speed record until around 1900.

Disadvantages of first electric vehicles:

  • high cost,
  • low top speed,
  • short range of battery electric vehicles

This led to a worldwide reduction in their use; although electric vehicles have had a continued use in the form of electric trains.

At the beginning of the 21st century, interest in electric vehicles had increased due to growing concern over the problems with fueled vehicles. This includes damage to the environment caused by their emissions, but also as improvements in electric vehicle technology was occurring.

Government initiatives to increase Electric Vehicle take up

The year of 2009 was an important year for the progression of the electric car. In America the Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $2 billion for the development of electric car batteries. Above all the department of energy added an extra 400 million dollars to fund building infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

Mid 2009, the Prime Minister in Britain announced that he will promote the use of electric vehicles. He planned to do this by offering £2000 subsidy for purchasers.

The government estimates that 40% of all cars in Britain will need to be electric or hybrid, for the country to reach its goal. It’s goal is to cut 80% of its carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Therefore the electric vehicle revolution is rather needed than it happening on its own.

Considering this, it’s not about the fact we cannot control the electric vehicle revolution. It may happen as a consequence of reducing CO2 emissions as we need to find an alternative way to travel.

In contrast, people are somewhat skeptical and they have easy access to petrol they don’t need to invest in a new electric car. The reason being they are they are comfortable with what’s available for them now.

Advantages of Electric Vehicles:

  • Cheaper to Run: no petrol needed and charges on free pods around the country
  • Low Maintenance: they run on electric powered engines so there is no need to lubricate the engines.
  • No Emissions: Electric cars are 100 percent eco-friendly
  • Cost Effective: Technological advancements has decreased both cost and maintenance.

Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles:

  • Recharge Points: Not a lot of places you can go a daily basis will have electric charging stations.
  • Short Driving Range and Speed: Most of these cars have a range of approximately 50-100 miles until recharging.
  • Battery Replacement: Batteries in almost all electric cars require to be changed every 3-10 years.
  • Longer Recharge Time: It takes couple of minutes to fill your fuel powered car. Where as an electric car takes about 4-6 hours to be fully charged.

Over the recent years multiple car brands have released their version of the electric car, including BMW, Tesla and Jaguar. These include battery packs capable of driving up to 300 miles on a single charge and fast charging times making them much more practical than before. as this has occurred, it is causing the electric vehicle revolution to happen at an increased rate

Because of this they are more readily available in all price ranges so they are easy to buy and run if anyone wants one. Which creates the belief people are going to be catching onto this trend quickly.