The Rise Of Electric Vehicles

Date: 14/03/22

We’ve come a long way since the early days of electric vehicles, when driving a Prius was little more than virtue signalling for the Hollywood elite. Today, electric vehicles have become mainstream as we move towards the UK’s ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030.

Far from being the “little tiny rice rockets” that US politician Sarah Palin recently described, today’s electric vehicles cover the full range of cars, vans, busses and even on-site plant. All the major manufacturers are shifting to electric and hybrid designs, including the largest, most prestigious marques.

Ever one to lead the way on environmental issues, Prince Charles recently took delivery of an £60,000 electric Jaguar I-Pace and installed a charging point at Clarence House. Delivering 395bhp from twin electric motors front and rear, it accelerates from 0-60 in 4.5s and has all the impressive presence and trimmings you’d expect from Jaguar. Hardly a tiny little rice rocket!

Growing sales

Electric car sales are growing rapidly as the ban approaches. Figures from the RAC estimate that there are almost 400,000 battery electric vehicles on the road in Britain, with over 300,000 plug-in hybrids. It’s still a small number compared to the total of 39.2million vehicles on the road, but it is a good start. In 2021, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported that 190,000 battery electric vehicles were registered, more than one in ten of all new cars.

Charging points are also becoming commonplace. Zap Map, the charging point finder site, shows that there are now more electric car charging points in the UK (8,471) than there are petrol stations (around 8,400). Better still, many are subsidised, or even free at places like supermarkets, encouraging customers to make the switch.

Adding solar to the mix

Of course, electric vehicles are only as green as the electricity used to power them, as Rushcliffe Borough Council understands well. They have recently opened a major solar powered electric vehicle charging point just off the A52 in Nottinghamshire. The facility will be powered by natural light and capable of charging up to 100 vehicles a day.

Think Hire can deliver the same solar technology to your site, with solar panel generators powering electric vehicle charging points for all your site vehicles and electric plant. Solar panel generators, such as the innovative Solartainer, can operate all year round, in a wide range of weather conditions, delivering cleaner, greener electricity for your site twenty-four hours a day. What’s more, these solar panel generators operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional diesel generators, or the ever-rising energy prices of the National Grid, and produce no emissions or noise pollution. Talk to our team today about solar panel generators for your electric vehicles and plant.

Nothing new

Surprisingly, electric vehicles are not a new idea. An electric car was produced by inventor Thomas Parker in 1884, and a whole fleet of London cabs were powered by electricity at the turn of the 20th Century. Sadly, these vehicles were quickly surpassed by new petrol and diesel cars, and the technology fell out of favour for more than a century. Imagine how different things would be if we had continued with electric cars, instead of polluting our planet with 1.4 billion internal combustion engines.

Although we are finally turning green with our cars, our buying habits remain resolutely less colourful. Grey was by far the most popular car colour last year, for the fourth year running, accounting for almost one in every four cars sold. Electric plant may not be as green physically as it is environmentally, but at least it is a little more colourful than its road going counterparts.

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