Driving an electric car is one of the most
convenient ways that someone can go green and help the environment. If everyone
drove electric vehicles, then the global carbon emissions would decrease
dramatically. Now, as per
CNBC, electric vehicles will grow from 3 million to
125 million by 2030. In 2017 alone, there was a significant rise in electric
car usage as it increased by over 50% compared to 2016.
These stats show that people are willing to move to electric vehicles, but
there’s still one stumbling block in the way; the traditional world. What I
mean by this is that the world is still built in a way that doesn’t really
accommodate electric cars. You will see many petrol stations all over the
country, but hardly any electrical charging ports in comparison. Yes, things
are improving, but the world still must adapt, and here are a few ideas how:
Image via Wikimedia
Different Charging Methods
This is a topic that’s been discussed on this blog before – granted, the article in question was a very long time ago. Regardless, there needs to be more charging methods for electric vehicles. As of right now, the primary method is to plug your car into a dedicated charging port. People are already exploring the idea of wireless charging, which means you can park over a sensor that charges your car from the ground up. This type of technology already works with smartphones and tablet devices, so it can definitely be translated to the electric car world.
Portable chargers will also be welcomed as they let you charge a vehicle at your own convenience whenever you want. Naturally, there’s the question of how portable a portable charger can be. But, think of it this way, there’s already the technology out there to supply small generators that can fit in the trunk of a car and be used to power a home when there are blackouts. So, surely it’s relatively easy to adapt this to electric vehicles so you can have a portable charger that can be stored in your car and taken out when you need it.
Finally, we could see more solar-powered
charging methods as well. This
can blend with the portable charger idea as they can have solar panels that
power the charger when it’s outside. As a result, you get clean energy to power
a clean car!
With more charging options available, it gets rid of the main restriction that
prevents people from getting electric cars. There won’t be the fear of your
battery running out when you’re nowhere near a charging port.
Image via pixabay
Charging Stations In Parking Lots
Generally speaking, parking lot technology has improved a lot without most people even noticing it. A lot of parking lots get help from Parking Logix and other companies that provide platforms to track open spaces, count how many cars are in a lot, and so on. A lot of this is done via sensors in the lots, which proves that you can use pretty high-tech stuff in there. What I propose is that it becomes mandatory to reserve some spots in every parking lot for electric charging stations. Drivers can plug their car in to charge while they go shopping, and it will help make these vehicles more accessible and convenient.
Again, it shouldn’t be a hard thing to do, and
it’s already beginning to come out in some places. The great thing about this
idea is that it can be scaled as electric vehicles become more and more common
in modern life. By 2030, if we reach that proposed target of 125 milion cars,
then we should have full-scale car parks where all the spots have charging stations
for electric cars.
The wireless charging pad idea would work perfectly here as they can be built
into the parking spots and can charge while you shop or work! What this does is
it just boosts the number of charging stations for electric car owners all over
the world.
More Dedicated Electric Vehicle Experts
It doesn’t take much to find a mechanic near you that will help service a petrol/diesel car. But, how many genuine electric vehicle experts are there? These cars are easier to service, but they still need regular checks and problems can occur. As such, there needs to be an emphasis on training mechanics to learn about electric vehicles, even to the point where specialist garages can open that only deal with electric cars. This makes maintenance easier for drivers, which encourages more people to go electric.
Right now, it can be hard for some people to get their car serviced as a lot of traditional mechanics simply haven’t worked with them before. So, there’s a lack of trust that this person can handle your vehicle and deal with your problems. Or, from their perspective, they may lack the confidence needed to carry out the work and would prefer not to do it. With more experts, we eliminate this issues as there are people who can handle electric cars and work with them without any problems.
Why Does The World Need To Adapt?
If the world can adapt to the growth of electric cars, then this will make everything much better for everyone. Talk to someone that doesn’t drive an electric vehicle and ask them why they don’t. Most of the time, people say similar things. They say that these cars can’t travel long distances as they run out of charge and there are a lack of stations to use. They say that there’s nowhere to get the car serviced other than going direct to the manufacturer, which could be inconvenient to them.
Consequently, if the world adapts to the demand and starts catering to electric drivers, then things improve. There’s no longer the issue with charging stations as there can be some in parking lots along with alternative charging methods like portable generators. As mechanics train in the art of servicing these cars, then maintenance is easier as well. All in all, it can encourage the world to go green and start driving CO2 free cars!