Lifestyle

Electric Car Technology Innovations

For motorists ten years ago going green was an unthinkable possibility. With manufacturers like MINI, Jaguar and Audi set to release new electric vehicles (EV) to consumers, we could see an E-volution on our streets much sooner than we first anticipated.

With the EV market growing rapidly, we’ve selected some of the key supporting innovations that will impact electric motoring in years to come.

Electric Car Charging

In 2017 EVs made up only 8% of the overall market in the UK. That means that 1 in every 12 cars purchased was electric, whether it was hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric. While statistics seemed rather low, environmental and economic changes such as the rise in petrol and diesel prices have begun to shift consumer interest to electric cars.

As a result of these changes, demand is growing for EVs, encouraging further investment into the industry, improving innovation around sticking points on electric cars, like charging points. Innovations around electric car charging span from new ports, quicker charges, longer charges to wireless charging being introduced by manufacturers like BMW. In recent years more money has been invested in public charging and you can now use one of thousands of points found up and down the country. Companies like Ecotricity have installed rapid chargers into motorway services and every IKEA store, while Chargemaster and others have built lower-voltage posts on streets and in car parks.

Using apps like ZapMap, enables you to easily find charging points in your location, utilising a clever colour coding system to differentiate the types of charging speeds. A small innovation like this gives electric car drivers more freedom than ever before, enabling users to plot their journey to pass charging points en route, thus eliminating ‘range anxiety’.

Since more charge point management systems are being introduced to the UK market and the plug in car grant allows cheaper purchases, motorists are able to be more flexible with their electric car and its charging.

Brands on Board

Now charging points are spreading, manufacturers are quickly developing new and upgraded electric vehicles to enhance their offering of electric cars in the market. Racing to the electric car finish line, more and more brands have announced plans to be the next electric car provider. Brands like MINI, Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar have released their own electric cars.

The first all-electric Jaguar, the i-PACE still looks, drives and feels like a Jag, but with an enlarged interior due to the compact all electric packaging. There are currently lots of conversations around new electric SUVs, as big contenders like the Audi E-tron along with the i-PACE enter the marketplace.

The completely electric MINI was featured in the 3-door Hatch range. This expanded the MINI collection and encompasses their legendary handle and iconic design with an electric drivetrain being integrated into their main production plant, Plant Oxford.

Committing to Going Green

Since the future is sustainable mobility, car makers in the US, Japan, Germany and China, are outlining their timeline for electric car investment and sales. Of the brands found within our dealerships, we have outlined their electric car commitments spanning across the next decade.

Manufacturer	Commitment	Year
Jaguar Land Rover	Jaguar sales expected to be 100% zero emission and Land Rover sales expected to be 60% zero emission by 2030.	2030
Audi	Will only launch new pure electric models from 2026 and will phase out internal combustion engine cars from 2033.	2026
MINI	Aims for half of its global sales to be ZEVs by 2025. From the 2030s, it will be a fully-electric brand.	2025
Aston Martin	By 2024, will launch an all-electric or hybrid model for all products.	2024

The new range of electric cars will increase the current offering to motorists. Introducing faster charging and longer distances, the e-range include many new car tech innovations as standard as the motoring industry begins to level up.

Environmentally-Minded

While the market is estimated to be worth £5 billion in the UK and £50 billion across Europe by 2025, the environmental benefits of going electric are detrimental to reducing global warming and our individual carbon footprints.

With global warming being a key influence in the electric care movement, environmental benefits include:

Reduced Pollution - As a result of driving an electric car you are helping to reduce harmful air pollution from exhaust emissions. A pure electric car has zero exhaust emissions which can improve air quality significantly, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion is common.

Renewable Energy – Charging your car from your own Solar PV system integrated into your home can further decrease your greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy will give you a completely green and sustainable power source that can run your home as well as charge your car at the same time. Many electric car buyers consider investing in a Solar PV system as the money spent on solar panels would be the cost of fuel for a petrol or diesel car.

Eco-friendly Materials – Manufacturing sustainable mobility without eco-proofing the process would be counterproductive. That is why there are trends towards more eco-friendly production and materials for electric cars.

Alongside the environmental benefits, reduced harmful exhaust emissions are also beneficial to our health. Better air quality will lead to less health problems caused by the fumes and reduce medical costs incurred by the NHS caused by air pollution. Likewise, electric cars are also quieter than petrol or diesel vehicles, therefore producing less noise pollution.

As manufacturers continue to improve their electric car offering, the world nears closer to a revolution of sustainable mobility. Paired with the likes of shared mobility, automation and electric powertrains, electric cars can directly impact a major reduction in transport related greenhouse gas emissions, as well as less air pollution and greater social equality. Together, these will generate fossil fuel-free roads that will take a step towards a brighter cleaner future for generations to come.

If you would like to learn more about our electric car offering, contact your local Jardine Motors Group.