Electric vehicles: the transition will not be so simple

More than ten years before the implementation of the ban on thermal cars in 2035, set by Europe, the registrations of new electric cars are increasing. But we also observe that not all markets are in the same boat: indeed, Eastern Europe is lagging behind Western Europe.

The used vehicle data specialist carVertical has analyzed the market for electric vehicles and the obstacles to their development, in a new study.

An increase in the share of electric vehicles

In 2021, carVertical observed that electric vehicles represented only 0.2% of all cars checked on its vehicle history verification platform. In 2022, this figure doubled to 0.4%, then 0.6% in 2023. Although these percentages are still low, more and more drivers are turning to electric vehicles.

Drivers who have opted for electric are motivated by the operation and maintenance costs Electric cars are said to be less prone to breakdowns and require less maintenance, with no filters, oil and fluids to replace periodically.

Despite the charging constraints battery, users get used to it: in general, they charge their vehicle at night at home, and public charging stations are only very rarely used. However, those who do not have charging stations at home or at work face many difficulties, because theuse of public terminals is more difficult than filling up with fuel. Indeed, beyond wasted time, it requires some habits such as the use of mobile applications or recharge cards, which are not always compatible with all infrastructures.

The various problems that are obstacles to development

Beyond the practical aspect, electric cars are not as efficient as advertised: indeed, if they are very practical in town, their performance on the motorway is far from being an advantage, in particular due to aerodynamics. which degrades at high speed, leading to an increase in consumption and therefore a reduced autonomy. It is therefore difficult to consider long journeys calmly, but the expansion of charging infrastructures seems to be gradually removing this stress from long journeys for electromobilists.

This is also in addition to battery weight, which greatly reduces the performance of an electric motor, and also poses problems in certain car parks, which were not designed to accommodate such heavy vehicles. The difficulty in managing fire caused by an electric vehicle is also a problem that gives firefighters a hard time, especially in confined environments such as underground car parks or a boat.

Finally, thefuture of electric cars is still in question: what state will they be in 20 years after their manufacture? It is still too early to predict their long-term residual value on the second-hand market, but already, their lifespan will undoubtedly be much shorter, since we now know that insurance companies would tend to send electric cars to the scrapyard at the slightest collision…

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