Are Electric Cars The Future?

But the growth of this curve and the popularity of electric cars rest on a few things happening.

How fast will electric cars replace petrol and diesel cars?

The answer is very fast. However, the question you should really be asking is, when will electric cars replace petrol and diesel cars?

To answer this, we need to consider what will encourage people to buy electric cars.

A few key factors will help to increase the popularity of electric cars, including:

• the price of electric cars going down
• the range and performance of electric cars improving
• the ability to charge electric cars becoming easier
• a ban on petrol and diesel cars
• incentives to replace petrol and diesel cars with electric cars

Many of these things are already happening.

The price of electric cars is coming down, with people making further savings on running costs in comparison to petrol and diesel cars. And the capacity of batteries is also increasing.

In 2020, the first battery capable of powering a car for a million miles was launched.

Another important factor is a country’s approach to incentivising the purchase of electric cars and banning the production and sales of petrol and diesel cars.

So, let’s look at what the UK is doing to encourage people to ditch their petrol and diesel cars in favour of electric.

When will petrol and diesel cars be banned in the UK?

Originally, a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars was set by the UK government for 2040.

This was brought forward to 2035, the date the sale of new hybrid cars will be banned.

However, as part of a new government plan to tackle climate change, this date was brought forward again. Now, in 2030 the UK will see an end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

To encourage more people to buy an electric car, the government is offering a plug-in car grant which takes £2,500 off the price of a new electric car.

Plus, there’s a £350 grant towards the cost of a home charger.

In London, a £25m scrappage scheme was announced to take older cars and motorbikes off the streets. Nothing has been announced for the rest of the UK yet, but it could be a consideration.

The UK government is also investing £500 million in battery development and the mass production of electric cars.

What year do all cars have to be electric?

The UK government hasn’t set a date for when all cars should be electric.

However, the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars does mean that their numbers on the road will be greatly reduced. With about a third of CO2 emissions in the UK coming from transport, this will help move the country towards the government’s net-zero target.

According to a forecast by the investment bank UBS, by 2025 20% of all new cars sold globally will be electric. This figure is expected to increase to 40% by 2030 and, according to UBS, by 2040 virtually every new car sold globally will be electric.

The future of electric cars is looking bright

Let’s return to our original question… are electric cars the future?

The ban on new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, combined with incentives to purchase electric cars and investments in the industry, suggests that yes, they are. Not to mention the clear environmental benefits that they can bring.

And things certainly seem to be moving in the right direction.

In 2020, global sales of electric cars rose by 43%, despite overall car sales falling by a fifth during the coronavirus pandemic.

As the S curve of the electric-car trend rises, you can make your own mark on the future of eco-friendly transport by buying your first electric car.

If you want to find out more about the range of electric vehicles on offer at Nathaniel Cars, pop into our Cardiff or Bridgend showroom. Our plug-in car experts will be happy to answer your questions.