Electric vehicles were popular until their decline in the 1930s. It was due to the cheaper petroleum cars such as the Model T Ford. Nevertheless, technology has now reached a breaking point where it is a viable alternative to the use of fuels.
New sales of petrol and diesel cars could be banned soon. Coupled with increasing concern over the carcinogenic effects of diesel emissions, the link between diesel particulates and Alzheimer’s, focus has turned again to electric cars.
There is still much debate about the long-term environmental benefits of electrically powered cars. The key message in the Clean Air Plan is the need for an improvement in air quality for the benefit of human health and therefore an alternate to petrol and diesel cars from built up areas.
According to a 2014 government survey, consumer resistance to adoption was largely due to concerns over recharging and “range anxiety”, with consumers worrying about how far they can actually go on a single charge.
In fact, the annual average of a privately owned car in 2016 was 12070kms, equating to only 45kms per day – assuming that the car is used for commuting five times per week. This is easily within the range of electric cars, which typically ranges 110kms