Electric vehicles are growing in popularity very quickly. As more consumers look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, auto manufacturers are trying to keep up with the increasing demand for electric vehicles. Additionally, government edicts for a more climate-neutral future are incentivizing these companies to ramp up production of this class of automobile.

The result is a slow phasing out of gas-engine vehicles which are being replaced by a growing number of electric-engine vehicles. However, a time when all vehicles that are on the road are running on electric motors is still pretty far away. At this moment, it is far more affordable to create combustion engines.

However, the trends still seem to indicate that the electric vehicle revolution will continue. Let’s take a look at some of the factors driving this growth.

Battery Repurposing

Lithium-ion batteries are very expensive to create. The mass production of these power sources used in electric vehicles is not ideal for the environment, and there is a long way to go before the adverse effects of mining these materials are mitigated. One of the problems with these batteries is that once they are used up, they have to be disposed of safely.

Fortunately, new research is revealing better ways to repurpose batteries that are environmentally safe. While used lithium-ion batteries may not be able to power a vehicle after refurbishment, they can be made useful in other ways depending on the level of decay that has occurred. These efforts can reduce the overall environmental impact of producing batteries, making it easier to justify the production of more power sources for electric vehicles.

Improving Infrastructure

One of the biggest obstacles to widespread electric vehicle adoption is the lack of infrastructure for domestic travel needs. Electric vehicles require charging stations in the same way that combustion-engine vehicles require gas stations. The more there are, the easier it is to travel long distances.

However, the funding is not yet in place to build enough charging stations to sustain an all electric vehicle fleet. While more charging stations are popping up across the nation, especially in urban areas, much of the land in between lacks the required stations. You could, however, choose to get your own charging station installed by a company specializing in EV charger installation in Minneapolis, MN, or anywhere you’re located, which can take the worry out of finding a charging station in your area. As the infrastructure continues to grow, more people will be able to reliably achieve all their travel needs with an electric vehicle.

More Efficient Motors

In the early days of electric vehicles, the engines were not terribly efficient. Charging times were longer, the distance one could travel on a single charge was shorter, and the cost of the vehicle hardly made things worth it. For this reason, many of the early models were hybrids.

Electric motor technology has improved by leaps and bounds. Impregnation of electric motors, efficient battery cells that store more energy, and other innovations have turned engines into more viable options for automobiles to get around and last longer. Using original bmw parts during repairs and maintenance is essential to ensure the maximum efficiency and durability of these sophisticated engines. With the motors improving, electric vehicles are becoming more affordable for American drivers.

Decreasing Prices

Many of the above factors are working together to lower the purchase price of an electric vehicle. Currently, the average price of an electric vehicle is higher than the equivalent combustion-engine model. However, some experts believe that the price difference between the two could disappear within five years.

Eventually, electric vehicles will have similar costs to gas vehicles. Production is becoming cheaper, so car manufacturers are able to charge lower prices to customers. Now that these cars are more comparable to traditional gas-powered automobiles, consumers are choosing to invest in electric models.

Emphasis on Carbon Emissions

The final factor that is helping to drive the electric vehicle revolution is the environmental impact. Although production of these vehicles is far from being good for the environment, consumers are thinking far more about their personal impact on the natural world.

Purchasing an electric vehicle helps them play a part in reducing the total carbon footprint of the country. While big businesses tend to be the biggest producers of harmful emissions, the millions of combustion engines on the road each day are also having an impact. An electric vehicle allows people to feel better about their impact on the environment whenever they hit the road.

Electric Vehicles are Here to Stay

Given the high number of electric vehicles already in circulation and the amount of money being invested into production over the next decade, it is unlikely that the electric vehicle revolution is going to slow down. The more cost-effective these machines become, and the smaller the negative impact on the environment during the production process, the more drivers will be convinced to make their next vehicle purchase electric.

With the largest manufacturers in the world making commitments to ramp up production, infrastructure growing, and motors becoming more efficient, the day when most cars are electric is probably not as far away as many people assume.

Jane