More and more manufacturers are driving the development of electric vehicles and the associated infrastructure, but so far the public has already adopt the cars en masse. Uncovering the reasons for this is of great interest to car manufacturers, the media and legislators - basically everyone - for reasons that should be pretty obvious.
To find out what the turning point of the public will be for EV adoptionCastrol (of all people) decided to fund a study. The resulting 50-page document takes a little dedication to get through, but what you're probably interested in are the headlines, the methodology of the study, and Castrol's motives.
For more of that
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Let's get the methodology out of the way first, since numbers can mean anything out of context. Since this study is from an oil company, it's best to approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. Most of the data comes from 9,000 vehicle owners in eight countries, including the US, UK, China, India, France, Japan and Norway. The rest of the data comes from 750 fleet managers and 30 automotive industry professionals who Castrol defines as OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and "battery and technology innovators". As for Castrol's motives, it's easier - they want to sell EV-specific lubricants and coolants.
After knowing the sample size and makeup, what does this group of nearly 10,000 people tell us about the hurdles in the adoption of electric vehicles? Well, the three key milestones to be achieved according to the study include a range of 291 miles, a charging time of 31 minutes, and an average purchase price of around $ 36,000.
These are all surprisingly reasonable, aren't they? The truth is that all three are currently available from several manufacturersbut the catch is we're still in a situation where you can't have all three in one car. For example, the Tesla Model S will do more than 291 miles, but it will cost a hell of a lot more than $ 36,000. Many electric vehicles charge quickly (at least 80%) in around 30 minutes, including those that cost under $ 36,000but they won't get anywhere near 291 miles of range.
Where are we then? Well, it gives a rosier picture for the future than we would otherwise have expected. Battery technology is constantly improving, and even most cheaper electric cars can reach nearly 200 miles. Continuous development should bring us closer to the 300-mile mark within a few years. Once the engineers figure out solid-state batteries, we'll likely go way beyond that with even cheaper charging capabilities.
Until then, electric vehicles will likely remain the province of the people who live in cities with robust infrastructure for charges and short distances.
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