Welcoming a new era: the electric cars
Earlier this month, the French government announced a new initiative to ban the sale of diesel and gasoline cars by 2040. This bold move will have an impact across the motoring industry, from development of new technology to changing infrastructure.
The Age of Electricity
The ban on diesel and gasoline cars means that they will be replaced by electric cars – those powered by lithium ion batteries instead of conventional combustion engines. This has been a goal for global environment lobbyists for some time, as well as presenting a real challenge for vehicle engineers and designers.
Several major car brands have been investigating branching out into this area of the motoring industry, and France’s declaration – and it might not be the only country to make such an announcement – has provided them with an added incentive. Here are some of the aims of the biggest car companies:
- Volvo Cars announced that it is planning on only producing hybrid and electric cars by 2019.
- Volkswagen has stated that it will build one million electric cars every year by 2020.
- BMW is launching an electric equivalent of their 3-Series sedan.
- Ford is going to add hybrid versions of most of its cars by 2020.
Tesla
Each of these car brands are only just moving into this market. The manufacturer that they have to compete with is Tesla, which has been perfecting its electric car range for decades. Entrepreneur Elon Musk announced that the first production unit of Tesla’s Model 3 would be finished in July – with 20,000 built by December 2017. This will be the first mass-produced electric car to hit the market, with the affordable price tag of around US$35,000.
Infrastructure
Tesla’s Model 3 will be able to drive 215 miles on one charge. Taking that as an average standard for the development of other electric cars, it seems safe to assume that France’s infrastructure will need to change to ensure that by 2040 the roads can cope with the demands of the electric cars – meaning more charging points at more frequent intervals.
UK traffic surveys from RDS
This potential change in motoring practice requires research and planning to ensure that the road infrastructure keeps up with the pace of vehicle development. Whilst the UK hasn’t made any declarations of the type we’ve heard from France, there will certainly be incentives to move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels to those using cleaner energy.
Traffic data analysis and road traffic services may be key in ensuring a smooth transition between diesel and gasoline vehicles to electric cars. If you’re interested in road traffic data, or need an insight into traffic analysis, contact Road Data Services today.
