The paradigm shift: from gasoline to electric cars

Until recently, many drivers considered electric vehicles a distant prospect. Now it’s typical to consider an electric vehicle as their next purchase. In Europe, between April and June of this year, one out of every twelve automobiles sold were electric. 

If we include hybrid cars that run on an engine and a battery, the percentage jumps to one in three. Electric car sales in Europe have risen from 198,000 in 2018 to 1.17 million this year. What does this mean for our lives and the car industry? Let’s get to it. 

Cleaner air

What is the reason behind this shift from gasoline to EV? Some might say that politics has a role in some explanations with the main reason being to reduce gas emissions and pollution. 

As regulatory rules tighten, there is little space left for gasoline-driven cars to continue production. While automakers have spoken about producing EVs for years, political pressure has pushed them to undertake the first serious attempt to sell them in large quantities. 

The United Kingdom has already declared plans to phase out the sale of gasoline and diesel automobiles entirely by 2035, while Norway aims for a 2025 deadline. The EU has proposed its own de facto ban by 2035.

New designs

Until recently, the absence of a marketable “product” was the primary stop for people purchasing an electric vehicle. However, automakers have been working nonstop to create appealing battery versions. 

After years of promoting concept models at auto shows, carmakers now sell a range of electric cars. From small city cars to massive family wagons, dozens more are on the way in the next few years. 

While many are still more expensive than gasoline cars, they have far lower operating expenses — significantly as global gasoline prices increase — and most governments continue to give hefty purchasing incentives.

“It’s that seismic, it [electric vehicles] changes everything, and to such an extent that any players that don’t pivot fast enough, that don’t invest, are unlikely to survive into the future,”  says Palmer, CEO of Switch Mobility.

So, what’s your next car going to be? 

If government incentives and gasoline prices continue to increase, more people will buy into the EV revolution in no time. With the many perks that come with it, so do drawbacks. Weighing out options like design, mileage, available seats, etc., may be the ultimate game-changer for many of us. 

Ultimately, our primary concern should be the amount of emissions released every year and how we can reduce them by driving an electric car.