The recent announcement that more charging stations for electric cars are going to be placed around Scotland didn’t seem to spark much of a reaction.
A lot of people seem to think that it’s pointless and they’ll never get used because normal cars fuelled by petrol and diesel will be about forever.
People thought that about Woolworths.
And even though I’m a big fan of beautiful fuel-guzzling motors like Aston Martins, with my business head on I can see where the market is heading.
Rising Costs of Driving
It used to be that getting into driving was easy in this country. Taking lessons and your test was affordable, a basic second-hand car cheap and insurance affordable.
Most teens could scrape together enough cash to buy themselves a banger until they got a proper job, and could then afford to trade up or even got a company car from their work.
Now the cost of driving is actually putting people off learning at all, with Department of Transport statistics showing hundreds of thousands fewer tests being taken compared to just five years ago.
Lessons, cars and insurance are all much more expensive now, and that’s before you even look at filling up the tank with fuel. According to the latest AA figures petrol prices have risen by 38% and diesel prices increased by 43% over the past five years – with more hikes in the pipeline.
It Made Me Laugh
Government Incentives and Hybrids
The way government tax schemes have been slanted towards ‘green’ and fuel efficient cars has also led to company car owners downsizing to make sure they don’t get a nasty jolt at the end of each month.
Something has got to give, and while electric cars may be a bit expensive and impractical right now eventually the big manufacturers will crack it and find a way to make them attractive for commuters.
Hybrid engines are already commonplace, and the motoring world’s big guns like Audi, BMW, Ford, Toyota and Vauxhall are all working hard to make even cheaper models so more people can afford them.
It Made Me Weep
The Coming Revolution
You can tell the tide is turning when you look at motorsport too, with even Formula One and Le Mans cars now coming fitted with electric motors to help them cut emissions and boost performance.
The bottom line though is that while petrol and diesel are not in any danger of running out in the short term it is getting more expensive to produce them all the time.
There’s going to come a point when fossil fuel just gets too pricy and it will suddenly make sense for the daily driver to plug in to electric.
There is still a lot of work still to be done in terms of making the batteries to power cars smaller, lighter and more powerful to extend their range. Lots of clever people are busy working on it though, some right here in Scotland.
How great would it be if the breakthrough came right here from our own engineers and scientists? We’re already leading the way in terms of renewable energy so it could happen.
Whoever does it in the end will make a fortune though, and more than likely sink old fashioned fuel companies practically overnight.
Mark my words, some people are in for a shock because a motoring revolution is coming down the road.
Faster and more quietly than they think too.
