The first mass produced pure EVs will be hitting the streets in the UK over the coming months heralding the true beginning of electric personal vehicle mobility. Nissan has said that its order book in already full for all Leafs coming to the UK market until the end of this year. The total volume of EV sales, even if supply is saturated, will still be small change compared to the total market however they are expected to grow rapidly in market share over the coming few years.
The innovators in the market will play a crucial role in helping to form public opinion surrounding EVs. They will act as opinion leaders and diffuse their experiences throughout their social networks. It has been regularly put forward that these innovators will have distinct characteristics encompassing strong green views and a desire to be on the technology frontier. A dimension that has garnered less exposure is the aspect of freedom these vehicles will provide to their owners. Not freedom in the sense of being able to go wherever they please but rather liberation from oil dependency.
Governments have repeatedly put forward that they are not only pursing EVs for their green credentials but also for their ability to shed the chains of oil which lock personal vehicles into using a single fuel source. Petrol and diesel fuels prices have been on the rise in the UK for a number of years and are causing real concern for UK drivers. EVs offer an alternative to oil and a chance for drivers to be more confident in calculating their future expenditure on fuelling their cars.
This sense of liberation and freedom can be compared to that of the New World pioneers deciding the break away from conventional forms of life. Indeed, EV drivers will be pioneers in the automotive market, freeing themselves of the shackles of petroleum and embracing the electron. But is this picture too simplistic? Without a doubt, refuelling your vehicle using electricity will be substantially cheaper than petrol or diesel however, is the belief that electricity prices are more stable than the oil price correct? Looking at the UK utility market this perceived separation in variability is perhaps misplaced. I believe that, in the future, electricity will provide a more stable fuel source for drivers compared to oil and whereas pure EV drivers may slightly restrict their mobility due to range limitations they will free themselves from the burden of worrying about what the price of a full tank will be the next time they come to fill up.
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