Four reasons why people still don’t buy electric cars

Electric vehicles can play an indispensable role in combating climate change. However, compared with diesel and gasoline vehicles, their performance and lack of battery charging points prevent them from surpassing fossil fuel vehicles.

More and more governments have set deadlines for banning fossil-fuel vehicles in the next ten years or so. So why has the number of electric vehicles not increased?

The reasons vary from country to country World Economic Forum. A survey in the United Kingdom explained that 37% of people think the lack of a fast charging port is the most common cause, followed by 35% of people concerned about the scope, and 33% of people concerned about the cost.

A survey by the Pew Research Center shows that two-thirds of Americans believe that electric vehicles are environmentally friendly, the same proportion thinks that electric vehicles are expensive, and one-third are worried about their reliability.

The following are four reasons for the slow adaptation of global electric vehicles.

1. too expensive

One of the main reasons for people’s hesitation is that electric cars are more expensive than gasoline or diesel cars. In the long run, electric vehicles are cheaper because of lower charging costs, maintenance and service costs.

The cost comparison data published on the comparethemarket.com website shows that there is a large price gap between electric cars and gasoline cars. In Spain, Nisan Leaf’s minimum electric car price is $28,620, while the gasoline car price is $17,255.

Renting a car’s battery instead of including it in the upfront price can reduce costs. Experts claim that in the case of a leased battery, the monthly cost of the battery is between US$69 and US$138, and it has the advantage of being replaced at the end of its life.

Industry analysts predict that due to the decline in the cost of lithium batteries that power electric vehicles, the price of electric vehicles is expected to fall in the near future. Subsidies help maintain the popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.

2. Not enough charger

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the number of battery charging points installed worldwide is increasing, however, the ratio of battery charging points to electric vehicles on the road is clearly flat.

Statistics from the IEA show that so far, among many countries, only France, Italy and the Netherlands have provided the number of charging points required by the EU’s alternative fuel infrastructure direction. China is the country with the fastest installation of public charging infrastructure, with an increase of 44% in 2020, reaching 310,000 in total. According to the International Energy Agency, by the end of 2020, there will be 38,000 fast charging points in Europe and 17,000 in the United States.

3. Chip shortage

People have always assumed that you can buy an electric car at any time. However, due to the shortage of microchips, the delivery of electric vehicles is insufficient. According to IHS Markit, 1.4 million cars and light truck production were lost in the first quarter of 2021 alone.

The increase in the production of electric vehicles after the COVID-19 lockdown has caused chip manufacturers to face challenges in meeting demand.The shortage will continue until 2021 and 2022, which will directly affect the delivery of all types of cars

4. Risk of battery fire

A Deloitte survey found that 31% of people surveyed in China expressed concern about the safety of battery technology. Many media drew attention to electric vehicle battery fires. However, Ola Willstrand, project manager of RISE, the Swedish national research institute, said that there is no such evidence that electric vehicles have a higher fire risk.

Except for all the backgrounds of electric vehicles, global sales are on the rise. The IEA report stated that electric vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 140% compared to the same period in 2020. China leads with 500,000 electric vehicle sales, and Europe ranks second with 450,000 electric vehicle sales.

IEA predicts that by 2030, the number of electric vehicles on the global roads will increase from 10 million to 145 million. However, with government incentives and initiatives, this number may increase globally.

This World Economic Forum Take the initiative by convening the Global Battery Alliance, which brings together 42 global organizations to improve battery production and performance. The alliance reported that by 2040, approximately 290 million charging points will be needed worldwide to complete the transition to electric vehicles, requiring an investment of 500 billion US dollars.