Electric supercar concept vehicles show that the electric engine is going mainstream. They herald a new era of electric vehicles and present some exciting prospects of what that future might be. Here’s a rundown of some new electric supercars that have some astonishing specs.
Now, nearly two decades later and 120 years after its introduction, the electric car is making an unmistakable comeback. This time, it’s aided by better technology as well as environmentally sensitive consumers and policymakers looking to supplant fossil fuel use with renewable electricity.
When regular people know I am working in the plug-in car business, their first reaction is: “Oh yeah, that’s the future…”
Some connect that with fighting climate change and give me the thumbs up. Others, possibly more tech-savvy, mention autonomous cars and Tesla, a brand that has a following even outside the electric vehicle bubble. I suspect a portion of Tesla owners buy them because they are sexy, fast and tech laden, with the autopilot being its most important feature, and the fact that they are electric is just an added bonus.
Having owned an electric vehicle for just over 18 months now, I feel able to share my knowledge, which may be of help to those considering an electric vehicle for the first time, or those who have just started out on the road to electric vehicle driving.
How much does loyalty to a major brand — or at least the status of various brands — limit the transition to electric vehicles from Tesla, Dyson, e.Go, etc.? On the other hand, how much does dissatisfaction with conventional automakers drive customers to such automotive newcomers? How much do legacy automotive brands keep the door shut to newcomers like Tesla versus invite the disruptors in?
At the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, we saw Mercedes, Volkswagen, and BMW all show some electric concepts. And most of them are really far-future concepts, the kind you find at auto shows but that never see the light of day. Here are some highlights:
Governments, oil companies, automakers, Tony Seba — they all have an opinion on when EVs will overtake ICE, and then move on to 100% of new car sales. Anywhere in the range 2025 to 2050, take your pick. It is all when, not if. That is a huge shift. It was golf carts 2 years ago.
Well, I must admit, I had almost given up on it. But then I got this message from the Danish electric car union, which had worked very hard to organize this particular attempt to beat the world record of the largest parade of electric vehicles …
If you are a reservation holder of a Tesla Model 3, I guess you would be pretty excited these days following news of the ramp up of production. Unless you live in Denmark. Then you should be worried if you will get your car at all.
What would it take to get a person to buy an electric car? The debate rages about range, environmental issues, performance, size, looks, and repair issues. All important topics, but what’s occurred in just 5 years? In 2011 practically zero EVs were available. Five years later, Nissan has sold a quarter million, Tesla has roughly 200,000 sold and 500,000 ordered, and the Chevy Bolt appears to be selling about 1,000 a month. The Fiat 500E sells in the tens of thousands despite CEO Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, begging people not to purchase his car. Don’t even mention the EV capital of the world, China.
