There may be an abundance of bad news at the moment, but the automotive industry that will emerge the other side of this crisis will be leaner and greener.
Tough decisions will be taken on restructuring, not just in jobs but also in manufacturing, development and even the existence and make-up of brands. But if there was ever any doubt over a switch to electrification, there’s none now.
As pollution has dropped with fewer vehicles on the road, the public has seen that there’s another way. Legislators are already forcing manufacturers towards cleaner, greener vehicles and, having now tasted better air quality, the public’s opinion will be with them.
“I believe that the best thing from the Covid-19 crisis is that it’s forcing an aged industry to finally take the plunge,” says Felipe Muñoz, Jato Dynamics’ global analyst. “Until now, not even tough regulations forced the OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] to evolve. They don’t have other options with this crisis. It’s time to have a more flexible, mobility-focused and efficient industry. Covid-19 will allow it to get there.”
Whether you see that as good news comes down to whether or not you’re enamoured by the idea of an EV in the first place. But the fact is that the UK’s planned 2032 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars now looms larger than ever, and all investments will be channelled towards that.
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Public gets what the public wants
Makes me laugh when people say private BEVs are bought by people who don't want them. Seen several posts by people saying they'd never go back to a ICE after driving a BEV. Horses for courses as ever
So what percentage of current
So what percentage of current car sales to the general public are EVs? Can you prove that most EVs arent company cars, and do you think they arent chosen because of the huge tax break that goes with them, and that if ICE cars were taxed the same that a far smaller number of BEVs would be sold?
If we are going to go
If we are going to go electric its not because the public want it, and certainly nothing to do with air quality. If the public were ever bothered about air quality would they ever have bought diesels? No matter how clean we are told they are today, its been quite obvious that older diesels were nasty things when it came to air quality yet because it might save a few quid, people bought them in large numbers.
But EVs will take over, again not because the public choose to buy them, but because company car drivers get them tax free. Its a minority of the general public who can afford a new car, most buy second hand, and its todays company car that the public will be able to buy when its 3 years old.