How the EV revolution is killing the small family car


For example, about 11% of the world’s nickel is buried in Russia. And there aren’t enough copper mines in the world to support the level of EV manufacturing needed for the next decade or so.

Other components in electric vehicles are priced about the same as in gasoline vehicles (such as the interior) or slightly more expensive (such as the chassis). As such, electric vehicles are subject to commodity market fluctuations and are approximately 45% more expensive to manufacture than comparable fossil-fueled vehicles. This gap may shrink, but it will never shrink.

That’s not so important in a big luxury car that costs £80,000 or even £40,000. However, small cars driven by young people cannot sell at that price. Paul Philpott, chief executive of Kia UK, which makes some of the UK’s most popular plug-in models, said it was “financially difficult” to bring a small EV to market. I’m here. Read: expensive and very expensive) electric cars.

Obvious difference

Overall, UK motorists have become accustomed to buying decent runabouts for around £14,000 new or just a few thousand yen on the used market. And it’s not clear if or when such prices will apply to the battery electric vehicles that we’ll all be forced into in the coming decades.

The cheapest petrol hatchback you can buy today, the Dacia Sandero, costs around £13,000, while the cheapest electric car, the Fiat 500e, is smaller, slower and basically less versatile, but still less. is also about £10,000 more expensive. This difference is even more pronounced on the used market. Thrifty teenagers can pick up an expensive but utilitarian Fiesta, Mini, or Corsa for less than the Grand, but the cheapest used EV (almost certainly an old Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe) Ten times that.

The UK will ban the sale of pure petrol and diesel cars within seven years, and by 2035 hybrids will also be off the menu. So a child born this afternoon means he’ll be 17 in a post-fossil fuel era, where petrol stations can only keep up with the existing, aging and dwindling supply of internal combustion engines. .

This can be a serious problem. The idea that young people are against cars is a longstanding misconception. A survey commissioned by Auto Trader found that 95% of 17- to 34-year-olds (probably a fairly generous definition of “young people”) say that cars are important or very important to them, but that of all adults in rural areas. 97% of him says the same thing. With about 1,000 local bus lines cut by 2022 and the rail network almost always on strike, the UK’s dependence on cars shows no signs of changing, especially outside of central London.

new model

How does a money-strapped, transport-hungry 17-year-old in the 2030s, ruthlessly stripped of his musty old Citroën Saxo but potentially paying the price of the electric revolution, find school and a girl? Driving to a friend’s or boyfriend’s house?? The answer, like the first step on the real estate ladder, is the Bank of Mum and Dad.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director of Auto Trader, said:

“The biggest factor is the increased availability of financial instruments and ownership models, which makes new cars more accessible to young people. All of our safety features for people are contributing to the change.”

It will be the parent’s responsibility to have to purchase or lease an electric vehicle for their child. Because we know that by doing so, we can provide a much safer and more environmentally friendly car. People in their 20s are spending more and more time at home, where electricity is of course “free.”

Moreover, aside from the high purchase price, the myriad limitations of electric cars are largely irrelevant to young people. Most of his teens, who can make all their mistakes within a 30-minute drive from home or school, have limited range (currently, most small EVs can drive several on a single charge). You can expect 100 miles) don’t worry.

Similarly, the widening gap between the number of electric vehicles on the road and the number of public chargers (the UK is about 250,000 below its 2030 target) means that most of our lives take place at home. It should not be a problem for young people who are their area. Also, the skyrocketing cost of refueling electric vehicles at public stations is of little concern to children returning to base each night.


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