Electric vehicles have been around for 100 years. At the time, gas offered benefits that battery technology could not match. Petroleum quickly spread throughout the continent, and along with it came industrial farming, long distance cargo hauling, and urban sprawl. EV’s would not become a possibility again until the 90’s with the EV1, a General Motors product aimed at the growing environmental groups attempting to fight global climate change. Still, the petrol industry held on to it’s monopoly despite the growing concern for the environment.
It’s now 2020, an age of monumental technological advancements. And, once again, electric vehicles have returned. Armed with the tech to match gas vehicles in power, mileage, and finally cost.
The federal government unveiled a 590 million dollar investment plan aimed at re-tooling Ford’s Oakville, Ontario plant to make electric vehicles. Ford plans to release 40 new electrified vehicles by 2022. Fiat Chrysler plan to invest 1.5 billion to create an EV which would be built in their Windsor plant by 2024. Toronto has approved a plan to reach 100% zero emission personal vehicles by 2050.
The electric vehicle is no longer an under dog in the fight to power our travel. Electric motors have ample amounts of torque, and power to compete with petroleum. “Driven by Steve Huff, the Current Technology 2.0 racer hit a top speed of 201.07 mph (at the 2:00 minute mark), covering a quarter mile in just 7.52 seconds in just its second run of the day. That breaks the previous record of 189 mph, was set last year by drag racing legend Big Daddy Don Garlits in his “Swamp Rat 38” dragster”(Bryan Hood, Robb Report).
Revolutionary changes to battery tech are happening right now. Carbon nanotube electrodes solve the problems limiting current batteries. Existing electrodes have low electrical, thermal, and ionic conductivity. This new tech will boost power by a factor of 10 with 3 times the storage and 5 times the life cycle. Charging time will reduced to minutes instead of hours and, eventually, cost much less.
Electric vehicles will finally have the tools to go tow to tow with big petrol. It’s been a long, hard road. And while gas has won the past battles. EV’s will, most assuredly, win the war.
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