Oh, what a decade! One in which the auto industry has had to grapple with steep economic ups and downs – although, those could conceivably (albeit naively) be passed off as simply being cyclical. What’s far more permanent is the fact that the world at large has finally accepted that fossil fuel reserves will run out eventually – and an alternative energy source has to become a reality in no uncertain terms.
Granted, realizations take time. And this one took a decade to really register. What seems to have taken only a tenth of that time, which is to say that it’s really happened over the past year, is the advent of the electric car as the tangible short-to-medium term alternative energy solution of choice. It appears that 2009 has cemented its emergence as the leader among the many proposed eco solutions, which includes bio-fuels and hydrogen.
Bio fuels will perennially fight a losing battle in regards to the food-for-fuel debate – especially in the developing world. And hydrogen requires a completely new eco-system to function. With that said, it’s important to remember that the electric route isn’t exactly lined with pots of gold either. Bear in mind that most electricity still comes from burning fossil fuels, which begs the obvious question – are we really solving the problem, or merely deferring it? The other thing to remember is that, especially in a developing country like India, power demand far exceeds supply – so plugging in your EV may not be that straight-forward after all.
Nevertheless, all the major manufacturers appear to have jumped on the bandwagon. A point to note, though, is that the path has been lit by smaller EV makers such as Tesla in the US, and REVA right here in India. And now, the likes of Sony – who developed the lithium ion battery pack to begin with, which made all this a reality – and other consumer electronics companies are taking more than a fleeting interest as well, as many have already announced plans to develop (or co-develop) advanced battery packs for automotive application specifically.
The real change, however, could still be around the corner. It’s not so hard, really, to envision a world where the car is just another consumer electronic device, like your iPhone or Blackberry is today – although in this case, it would provide transport as well as communication and connectivity. In fact, there was a survey conducted recently, which concluded that a large percentage of people would already consider buying a car from Apple. Steve Jobs are you listening? Either way, Toyota and VW better watch their backs.
In the midst of this, all is not lost for the enthusiast thankfully. The internal combustion engine is far from dead, and the cars of today are generally – not surprisingly, but thankfully nonetheless – generations ahead of those made at the beginning of the millennium. Plus, what’s also been proven is that even the EV route can be an exciting one – a case in point is the Tesla Roadster Sport pictured here, which can do the 0-100 sprint in under an absolutely astonishing 4 seconds. And in complete silence too.
Although, several car makers are working on incorporating some kind of a soundtrack to go with their EVs so they don’t sneak up on you, which they do currently. Plus, allied industries and services will also have to emerge – such as battery leasing, quick charging points, and battery changing stations to mention a few. Moreover, battery technology will still have to improve considerably. And costs have to come down as well, which is just a factor of scale, and will continue to do so over time.
It appears to be a case of something along the lines of ‘the more you do, the more you’re left to do!’ Either way, it’s still unchartered territory all the same, and that can only provide one assurance, which is that innovation will continue to amaze us as we move forward. And that’s pretty exciting any way you look at it.
Here’s wishing you all the best for 2010.
