“COP 26, organised by the United Nations, is now behind us and the strongest message that came out was that the world must decarbonize the motorised vehicle fleet.”
All the major world wide vehicle manufacturers have announced multiple electric vehicle models and some have even announced they will no longer manufacture petrol or diesel cars after 2035.”
“Governments around the world are applying penalties and emission rules around petrol and diesel vehicles to make their operation and ownership more expensive, to drive change as they scramble to meet their CO2 emission promises.”
“Hydrogen has a place as it is a great store for “ green “ energy but is about 3 times more expensive than battery electric options. However it has advantages for long haul trucks, ships, remote mining operations, buses and maybe aeroplanes.
“Battery technologies are developing at a rapid rate. By 2025 we are expecting dry cell battery technology that can charge a vehicle in 10 minutes and offer a greatly increased range at a reasonable cost.”
“It is even possible that internal combustion engines may run on fuel other than hydrocarbons.”
“Around town delivery trucks will be electric.”
“Slowly but surely automation of the vehicle will creep in and ride sharing will become more common. Vehicle ownership by individuals will become less common. Vehicles will become a computer on wheels.”
These are all thoughts expressed by Alex de Boer, Managing Director of The Electric Motor Vehicle Company Ltd ( EMV ), Southland’s only dedicated Electric Vehicle Company.
“ When buying and owning an electric vehicle you need to focus on the idea that the battery is the engine. It is sealed and therefore no physical maintenance is required but that does not mean you don’t need to look after it to make sure it will last a long time. Also the battery replacement industry is very young at this time” says Alex. “ Therefore we spend a lot of time with our clients as advisers to understand what use the vehicle is intended for and eventually make the right vehicle choice.”
EMV do not buy or recommend older electric vehicles as these will have a reduced range and will eventually stop driving altogether. “We want to be with our clients throughout their ownership and we do our best to ensure we can keep their cost of ownership down over the life of the vehicle. With replacement batteries we expect EVs can do over one million kms. “says Bob Turner, Sales Manager. “In many cases right now in Southland, with more rural driving hybrid vehicles are often the best option.”
The EMV business is as a one stop shop to bring Mobility as a Service ( MaaS ) in electric or hybrid form to everyone that seeks it. This includes leasing or finance to own. “The savings in running costs can even cover the cost of finance so there is no direct capital outlay,” concludes Mr de Boer.