9 September is World EV Day. Today, millions of people around the globe are driving EV’s. But, for many an EV future still feels a bit daunting. So, as an EV convert, here’s my 4 reasons why owning an EV could be your best driving decision?yet!!?
- EV charging infrastructure is ramping up quickly –?I switched to an EV in 2019 and would have done sooner but was worried about “re-fuelling” the car while on the road as charging point locations didn’t seem as visible as gas stations to me. But once I got my EV I found there are loads of apps with decent maps and navigation aids to help find your next charging location. The other thing I noticed soon after switching to driving an EV is that?I stopped thinking about “filling up” and instead thought of it more as “topping up" the EV’s battery.?With thousands of EV charging points available already on high streets and city-centre car parks, with a bit of pre-planning, you can top up your EV while you shop or eat out, putting an idle car to better use. This should be especially reassuring for households where home charging is not an option. And, as charging infrastructure scales up, governments and private sector companies will need to collaborate in many ways to ensure there are a variety of chargers available based on the driver need – having right type of charger at the right place is key as every journey in going to be unique.
- Your “street cred” rises in kids’ eyes?– my nephews and nieces think I’m really cool. Sadly, it’s mostly because I drive a Tesla! Nowadays, kids are wielding “positive pester power” in new decision areas like car purchases, and it’s something we should encourage as they try to get parents to be more environmentally friendly by purchasing an EV.?And there’s nothing cooler than for kids at a school gate getting out of a car with “falcon-wing” doors. Of course, few people – including me – can stretch to a Tesla Model X, but lucky for us, kids are giving the thumbs up to virtually any zero-emission vehicle that their relatives buy.?
- Owning an EV is sheer fun –?and it’s not just electric cars but?e-cycles and e-scooters too. Even petrol heads go soft at the knees once they experience the exhilaration of accelerating from a dead stop and the extra-smooth handling around corners owing to the EV’s lower centre of gravity – don’t get me started on the infotainment system!?
- An EV is like a gift that keeps on giving –?behind the utter uber-coolness of EVs is an urgent message: According to the IEA[1], transportation is responsible for 24% of direct CO2 emissions. And road transport accounts for nearly three-quarters of these CO2 emissions, so roughly 18% of all emissions. This presents a huge opportunity for reducing emissions.?
And that message is getting through as we see major retailers swapping their delivery fleets to electric and ‘cargo bikes’ replacing vans on our busy city streets. That’s real progress in reaching our goal of net zero.?
How can we mark World EV Day? Most EV drivers are a welcoming bunch and would proudly show you around their car. As well, going into schools and other communities and talking about the benefits of electrified transport – public or private – is something we should encourage and celebrate.
To mark World EV Day, I’ll commit to talking to 10?other people in my neighbourhood about the benefits of switching to an EV. But don’t wait for me to knock on your door – nothing, really nothing, beats experiencing the technology for yourself, so go to your local car dealer and ask for a demo. It’s not that scary, it can save you loads in the long run, and you might just fall in love!???
?[1] https://www.iea.org/topics/transport
