In recent years, we are seeing how The electric car is growing in sales in a very important way. From residual figures in the sales quota, to being able to exceed 10% worldwide, with penetration quotas in some markets well above. But it is clear that we are still scratching the surface of a market that needs several factors that allow the number of sales to skyrocket. We review the most important points to improve.
Definitely the price is a key section. It doesn’t matter that there are more charging points than cars, or that these have autonomy worthy of the Millennium Falcon. If the client cannot buy it from you, the rest of the factors will be irrelevant.
A few days ago we could see a report from the International Energy Agency, which indicated that the The costs of electric cars will fall by 2025 until they are equal to those of cars with combustion engines.. A key factor that will tip the balance towards the technology of many buyers, but as we see, it still needs at least a couple of years to be achieved.
But at this time an external force could speed up this aspect. And it is that the Chinese cars are achieving great developments in terms of production capacity, and even exploring ways to further reduce battery costs. Something that can further accelerate this dynamic of increasingly competitive prices, especially if they start to produce within Europe.
An offer that desperately needs to grow in variety, and where It is not at all normal that the best-selling car is a 50,000-euro SUVthe Tesla Model Y. A sign that warns us that a greater variety of vehicles that cover the high segments, but also the medium and low segments is essential.
charging network and public charging
The next challenge once we achieve that everyone can buy an electric car, is that they can charge their batteries.
In this aspect the challenge is divided into two. On the one hand there is public fast charging. A key infrastructure that is both an incentive or brake for new purchases, as well as a key aspect when traveling with our vehicle. Something that makes a wide network necessary, but also easy to use for all profiles, as well as easy to locate and access.
And it is that despite the improvement of the network, the reality is that in places like Spain the location of the stations is not entirely adequate. It is not easy to find large recharging areas located at the foot of the dual carriageway or motorway, and they usually force us to leave the road, with the significant loss of time that this entails. Add that on many occasions the client finds only one or two points in a station, which drastically increases the chances of finding the station busy or out of service, with the consequent problem of finding an alternative.
On the other side is the daily charge for those users who do not have a parking space. A serious challenge in a country like Spain where a large percentage of the population lives in apartments and does not have a place to park their vehicle. A challenge that will involve deploying thousands of slow or accelerated charging points on the streets, with low powers and prices similar to those that customers have in their homes.
In this regard, there are several alternatives, and among them stand out the recharging points in the lampposts, which allow rapid, economical deployment, and without major works that bother the neighbors. A developed and mature technology that only needs a boost from the administrations.
Autonomies and charging power
Although technology is advancing significantly, it is undeniable that when a customer buys an electric car, one of the pillars is autonomyand to a lesser extent but also very important, the maximum fast charging power.
The question is what minimum autonomy is necessary for an electric car to be interesting for the general public.
Possibly and based on my experience, the 300 real km on the highway at 120 km/h is a more than acceptable figure. This allows us to make sections of two and a half or three hours, and make short stops to rest and take the opportunity to eat something, go to the bathroom, and load the car.
Something for which a direct current charging system capable of reaching at least 100 kW is necessary, which means that in a stop of 20 or 30 minutes we can recover a good amount of our battery.
Something we won’t get with a point or a vehicle that does not manage to pass 50 kW, which can trigger waiting times up to 50 or 60 minutes for the same operation. Aspect that makes completing trips of 500 or 600 km very complex.
Luckily it seems that this aspect is also in the spotlight of manufacturers. As an example, the future Volkswagen ID.2, which in addition to a price “from” 25,000 euros, indicates that it will have ultra-fast charging capable of charging your battery in 20 minutes. Of course, it is more than likely that to access this benefit the “from 25 thousand euros” will be slightly increased. But it shows us the way that even in the access or media segments, fast charging will be a key point.
And what do you think? What needs to happen for more people to buy an electric car?
