The future of electric cars is often linked with companies such as Tesla leading the way. However, EVs, which stands for electric vehicles, are facing a significant amount of difficulties as they try to expand into the mainstream.
Hybrid may be more viable and even more realistic, but there are some EV companies that are developing technology that can be considered "disruptive." Disruptive technologies refer to technology that can change the game so to speak and cause an overhaul of technology. Surprisingly, the future of electric cars may possibly be found in the very same technology that is used in golf carts.
The Types of EVs
There are two main types of electric vehicles that can be considered to be disruptive. They are:
- Low-speed Electric Vehicles
- Electric Utility Vehicles (also referred to as EVs)
Low-speed electric vehicles are vehicles designed for consumers that are based on the technology utilized in golf carts and vehicles that can be considered all-terrain. In contrast, electric utility vehicles are ones that are more diverse in size and can even be large trucks, with the common thread between them in that they utilize electric motors and are powered by batteries.
Downsides of EVs and EUVs
Both EVs and EVs have their downsides though compared to the electric cars that are being developed by Tesla, namely that they:
- Drive at low-speeds
- Don't have a great distance capacity
- Can't carry as much weight
- Are not suitable for most roads due to their low top speed
The Advantages of EVs
They do also come with many advantages, however, which includes:
- They don't cause tailpipe or noise pollution.
- They are more pedestrian-friendly.
- They are more affordable and cheap to buy and charge.
- They're great for congested cities and narrow spaces.
- They're highly useful for getting around certain controlled environments.
- They last longer due to less of a stop and start the process that bigger vehicles have to adhere to in city centers.
Already, some cities are beginning to see the benefits of these services and are encouraging their use. For example, some cities have been charging congestion taxes in order to allow vehicles to enter into the center of the cities. This is not the case with EVs, as they're small enough and not part of those same regulations.
Ultimately, what will determine if these types of electric vehicles grow in popularity is in the improvements that can be made on the existing technology. There still needs to be major improvements made on the battery capacity and the speed of these vehicles. But their affordability and size make them a perfect candidate to become the electric vehicle of choice in the future. Tesla still has a viable future, but they will need to get some of their costs under control and release a more affordable vehicle if they ever hope to truly go mainstream. Of course, who knows if the Google self-driving car will be the future or not. These are interesting times ahead!