Cutting Edge Electric Vehicle Trends of 2018

2017 was the year of the electric vehicle, and 2018 is set to solidify their position as the market’s top type of vehicle.  With shows as influential as Detroit’s Auto Show pushing electric, the influence of the industry is demonstrable, and largely driven by the stunning success of Tesla, who were short stocked not too long ago. 

Electric cars are going global now, with China committed to bringing electric rollout across the continent.  Fisker and Faraday have mooted cars of the future; read on to see what changes are shaping the electric car industry today. 

Battery Power

The abilities of an electric car are often constrained by the design quality of the battery.  This has been the focus of considerable research and scientific efforts for discovery, with October 2017 news revealing that UNIST had unearthed a new interaction that might help future batteries.  What does this mean for the market now?  Well, BMW have released their i3 S this year, with a key differential being that the battery has been upgraded to a 94Ah/33kWh – improving performance across the board.  A worthy upgrade for those who have an older i3 model with a positive independent car valuation assessment, it might be time to trade in for the benefit of your longer-term pocket. 

Accessibility

A major hurdle to the proliferation of electric vehicles is the provision of electric charging points.  The Wall Street Journal predicted electric car sales outstripping chargers and they’re likely to be proved right.  Countering this, the Department of Energy have approved grants of up to $4m to help cities across the US get connected, by placing charging points every 100 miles along major highways and thoroughfares.  This is especially important as few electric cars have the range of some premium models. 

Electric Trucks

Electric vehicles have largely been consigned to the role of smaller sedans and roadsters, the theory being that the engines simply don’t have the push to move around vehicles that are any heavier.  This is set to change, however, and the Detroit motor show spoken about earlier in this article featured a huge array of electric trucks and bigger road vehicles, showing just how technology has come on in that area.  This comes down to the improved power of batteries alongside clever changes in gearbox and chassis experimentation from manufacturers. 

Between batteries and clever engineering, electric automotive technology is making inroads to every market there is when it comes to cars.  Keep your eyes on these technologies.