Why Are Electric Cars Slowly Regaining Popularity Across the World?

13 Aralık 2022
Why Are Electric Cars Slowly Regaining Popularity Across the World?
Nimet Aylin Rassad

The great aspect of electricity is that we can generate it in a variety of ways. The emission and pollution problems can be partly solved if only the transportation sector could use fewer non-renewable energy sources. Nowadays, people from all over the world understand the significance of finding a replacement for not eco-friendly machines. With electric cars showing financial benefits and a promising solution for environmental problems (Granovskii et al., 2006), the transportation industry and governments have been working on moving towards a zero-emissions future. Manufacturers are determined to bring the most efficient and sustainable option – electric vehicles (EV) – to the market for mass use.  However, some social stigmas appear to misjudge the abilities and potential EVs have, presenting certain challenges consumers face while choosing a vehicle to buy. As a result, there has been very little progress in the electrification of the automobile industry. This research paper examines environmental and social aspects that delay the process. Furthermore, it demonstrates how some of the doubts people have about electric cars create a stigma that stops them from purchasing electric vehicles, and how some of these concerns can only be removed by governmental action. While providing evidence of the advantages of buying and owning an electric car over internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, such as environmental and financial benefits, I will attempt to support my claim by presenting results from a survey that has been conducted on 30 participants. The subjects of the survey are present and future car owners, and none of them have purchased an electric car which provides a better understanding of how much people who do not own an electric car truly know about the features and benefits of electric vehicles. 

Electric cars go way back to the 19th century when they first successfully appeared on the market. These vehicles did not have any of the problems that steam or gasoline cars did, they were quiet, easy to drive, and did not produce any smelly pollutants. However, highly unfortunately for electric vehicles, when affordable and easily accessible oil was discovered, electric cars started losing their popularity and ended up disappearing, even when gas prices started to rise (Hoyer, 2018). It was assumed that electric vehicles would never be as efficient as internal combustion engine vehicles. However, in the 20th century, a new era for electric cars started showing a promising solution for environmental problems, for example, air pollution and climate change, while the ICE cars started to be identified as one of the major “sinners” (Hoyer, 2018). Still, there are environmental and social aspects that delay the process of electrification of the automobile industry. Most concerning barriers appear to be the “insufficient density of charging stations, the difficulty using an EV due to the lack of charging stations along highways, and long charging time” (Giansoldati et al., 2020). Certain challenges depend on where the driver lives and where he/she drives, but the accessibility of charging points and some of the other barriers are the results of policies made by public authorities (Granovskii et al., 2006). Furthermore, some doubts people have about electric cars create a negative stigma. Social norms dictate that electric vehicles are not fast, comfortable, affordable, and luxurious enough.  As a result, it affects the buyer’s choice of car. In addition, the price of purchasing and maintaining an electric car is believed to be one of the most influencing barriers to the adoption of an electric car (Giansoldati et al., 2020). It is one of the critical aspects that people do not know about, but by buying an electric car people are going to save money. Granovskii, Dincer, and Rosen demonstrated that the cost of using gasoline and oil as fuel for a car would be more than the cost of using electricity for the same purpose. Furthermore, a great majority of automakers have been putting their full effort into manufacturing electric-powered vehicles, which will certainly lower prices and encourage consumers to acknowledge the advantages of greener electric cars.

Electric vehicles will play a significant role in the low-emission economy as people are intending to overcome two major environmental issues: air pollution and global warming. Global greenhouse gas emissions are rising, with the transportation industry accounting for a significant portion of overall carbon dioxide emissions. In Italy, in 2017, the transport sector accounted for 22% of overall national CO2 emissions (Giansoldati et al., 2020). While ICE cars have been described as one of the major “sinners”, EVs appear to be the solution with the potential to minimize this number. Greenhouse gas emissions not only lead to air pollution but also have a major impact on climate change. Granovskii, Dincer, and Rosen (2006) presented results of the comparison of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution (AP) emissions for different types of cars, such as conventional, hybrid, electric, and fuel cell. Implying “3 scenarios for electricity production such as electricity is produced from renewable energy sources; 50% of the electricity is from a renewable source, and 50% from natural gas; all electricity is produced from natural gas”; Granovskii, Dincer, and Rosen have shown that the total impact that electric cars have on the environment (average from the 3 scenarios of GHG emissions per 100 km is 7.163 kg; AP emissions per 100 km is 0.02618 kg) is much less than the damage done by internal combustion engine cars (average from the 3 scenarios of GHG emissions per 100 km is 14,7 kg; AP emissions per 100 km is 0,0324 kg). This study also has clearly shown that an electric car with onboard electricity-generating capability is a viable option worth further investigation in the development of energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable vehicles (Granovskii et al., 2006). However, there are some downsides to the production of electric cars that we need to be aware of. The production of batteries for electric cars is much worse for the environment than the production of ICE cars. The “availability of battery raw materials”, such as lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel poses a new problem (Nguyen et al., 2021). These materials need to be mined, no matter if they were produced in the country or imported from abroad, the mining ends up producing lots of greenhouse gases. Although the number of people driving electric cars is far lower than the number of those with gas-powered cars, progress can be seen in emission rates which have been moving downward since the adoption of EVs (IEA, 2019). The statistics of emissions are changing, because even if the production makes a great amount of CO2, during the use of the car, it more than makes up for its pollution after a certain time. It is important to acknowledge what has been shown– electric vehicles have less of an environmental impact than ICE cars. 

The price of purchasing and maintaining an electric car is believed to be one of the most influencing barriers to the adoption of an electric car (Giansoldati et al., 2020). There are quite a few knowledge gaps in that people are unaware that it is profitable to have an electric car. In the survey (see Appendix), 50% of participants stated that the initial cost of the vehicle is one of the most important factors in deciding which car to buy, and when it comes to electric vehicles, more than 29% agreed that the most significant disadvantage of EVs is their high cost. It is one of the critical aspects that consumers do not know about, but by buying an electric car they are going to save money. With growing awareness of the damage caused by gasoline and diesel engines, quite a few car manufacturers have shifted their efforts to develop more efficient and successful electric vehicles, so battery prices are expected to fall, causing the total price of a new car to decrease over the next few years (Granovskii et al., 2006). More than 46% of participants responded that they would consider purchasing an electric car but are not completely assured of its advantages, implying that most of the consumers are unaware of the full potential, besides the environmental benefits, that EVs offer. More than 63% of survey participants answered that the cost of fuel/charging is another important factor in determining which car to buy, however, it was also claimed that using an electric car is more expensive (see Appendix). This claim delays the process of a full transition to EVs. It appears to be that buyers do not realize that after adopting an electric vehicle, individuals will save money on car maintenance because the electricity bill will be significantly lower than what people spend on petrol and diesel (Granovskii et al., 2006). As Granovskii, Dincer, and Rosen showed (data has been conducted from the year 1999 until 2004, price in US$) the price of gasoline and oil has been only increasing, while the price of electricity has slightly increased at some point but has been staying approximately the same ever since. 

Despite the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, individuals still have doubts that influence their decision when purchasing a vehicle. That demonstrates how little people understand the true power and benefits of electric engines. It was believed that electric cars would never return to the market as successful as internal combustion engine cars. Yet in the 20th century, a new area for electric cars began. But despite how promising they are, consumers still have concerns, thus, the process of electrification of the automobile industry is awfully slow. Most concerning barriers appear to be the “insufficient density of charging stations, the difficulty using an EV due to the lack of charging stations along highways, and long charging time” (Giansoldati et al., 2020). Besides the barriers that buyers may have in mind stopping them from buying an electric car, Vögele, Hanna Broska, Otte, and Rübbelke discuss that social norms can shape and influence people’s choices and preferences in choosing a car. Observed in Germany, but existing most probably everywhere in the world the phenomenon states that social norms influence consumers to buy “large, heavy” and luxurious cars with internal combustion engines (2021). Buyers feel the need to be “peer-approved”, so they can increase their status (Vögele et al., 2021). Electric vehicles are environmentally sustainable and provide a potential approach to the emission problem, which larger and more luxurious vehicles do not solve, but instead just worsen. As long as social norms determine that electric cars that are not fast, convenient, affordable, or luxurious enough exist, and continue to influence people’s choices over which car to purchase, more pollutants will be produced which has a huge effect on global warming. 

Between 2022 and 2025, electrification is projected to expand rapidly with projections estimating that sales could reach 26 – 43 million in 2030 (IEA, 2019), accounting for roughly 30% of the global passenger vehicle fleet. One of the Internal Energy Agency’s latest policies is the EV30@30 scenario, which the IEA only predicted until 2030 “with an annual growth rate of 10% or higher” (Nguyen et al., 2021). In their study, Giansoldati, Monte, and Scorrano (2020) have shown that some of the barriers stopping people from buying electric cars can only be taken down with governmental actions. For example, not enough charging stations, overpriced electric cars, or long charging times can be serious excuses why someone would not want to buy an electric car. According to the survey (see Appendix), more than 65% of respondents agree that the biggest downside to electric cars is a lack of charging stations. Besides that, more than 65% reported that there are no charging stations near their homes. This is where the government should take action, as people cannot control this situation themselves. To create a sustainable energy future with 0 emissions from ICE vehicles countries should authorize a governmental policy action towards transitioning to electric vehicles, which has already been announced by 17 countries (IEA, 2020). Another policy by IEA not only contributes to electric cars regaining their popularity from buyers but also shows that governmental figures understand the importance of zero-emission electric cars for the future of our environment and the planet in general. Fortunately, the environmental damage caused by gasoline and diesel engines has been recognized not only by governments worldwide but also by manufacturers, who are now working to develop the most efficient and reliable electric cars. Company Tesla which was founded in 2003 is one of them. Tesla proved that having sustainable products does not require compromising on price or performance. In their impact report (2018), it was demonstrated that Tesla’s Supercharger network is the fastest and most comprehensive charging network in the world. Their solar electricity generators have outperformed the amount of energy used by the entire Tesla vehicle fleet on the road, with the vehicles (MODEL S, X, and 3) consuming 5.26 TWh and the solars generating 13.25 TWh (Tesla, 2018). In the survey, Tesla was named by more than 75% of participants as the most successful vehicle company that they are aware of (see Appendix). This illustrates how much people trust Tesla with the future of electric vehicles. Tesla’s products offering sustainable generation, storage, and usage will bring the industry to move towards full electrification.

As both, the auto sector and government, have been preparing for the full transition to a zero-emission future, electric cars have been regaining their popularity, demonstrating economic benefits and a potential solution to environmental problems. However, certain social stigmas underestimate the capabilities and potential of electric cars, as well as there are barriers that individuals identify while deciding on a car to purchase. A new era for electric cars had started, however, as has been supported by the survey most people are still clueless about the full range of electric vehicles’ features and advantages. Society needs to be educated not only about the benefits of electric cars presented in this paper but also about all the other potentials that electric vehicles present. More countries need to improve or put together new policies; changes, such as building more charging stations, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, or lowering taxes for those who use solar panels and electric vehicles, can speed up the process of full transition to EVs. The industry is moving towards electrification, but only with the support of every present and future car owner, we will be able to fully transition to a zero-emission future. 

References

Appendix

Electric Cars Survey 

  1. Do you own a car? 
  • Yes, I do, but it is not an electric car 
  • Yes, I do, and it is an electric car 
  • No, I don’t own a car

2. How much do you think you know about electric cars? 

3. Would you consider buying an electric car in the next 5-10 years? 

  • I will definitely buy one 
  • I am likely to buy one 
  • Considering, but I am not fully convinced by its benefits 
  • I don’t think that I will buy an electric car in the next 5-10 years 
  • I will definitely never buy an electric car 
  • Don’t know 

4. What do you believe is the main benefit or advantage of electric vehicles? * 

5. What do you believe is the main disadvantage of electric vehicles? * 

6. What are the 3 most important factors for you when deciding which car to buy? * 

  • The initial purchase cost 
  • Performance 
  • The fuel/charging cost 
  • Maintenance cost (service, taxes, insurance) 
  • Environmental benefits 
  • Car’s brand recognition 
  • Car’s visual appearance 
  • Something else: 

7. What is the least important factor? * 

  • The initial purchase cost 
  • Performance 
  • The fuel/charging cost 
  • Maintenance cost (service, taxes, insurance) 
  • Environmental benefits 
  • Car’s brand recognition 
  • Car’s visual appearance 
  • Something else: 

8. Considering only the environmental benefits electric cars present how much would you pay for an electric car?  

  • I would pay the same price as for the internal combustion engine (ICE) car 
  • I would pay more 
  • I would pay less 
  • Don’t know 

9. Do you have any electric charging stations close to your house? 

  • Yes 
  • No 
  • Don’t know 

10. What is the most successful electric vehicle company you are aware of? 

11. What do you think the automotive industry’s future will be in the next 20-30 years? 

  • a full transition to electric vehicles 
  • same as now 
  • 50% of electric, 50% of ICE vehicles 
  • More of electric cars 
  • More of ICE cars 
  • Electric cars will never be as successful as ICE cars 

12. There is a petrol car and an electric car at the same price. Which one would you buy? Why?  

13. How do you think we can attract more people to be interested in purchasing an electric vehicle? 

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