Why are auto manufacturers switching to electric?

Alan Zhang Block B

In recent years, many auto manufacturers have been making a shifting in development

focus from gasoline to electric-powered vehicles. But before that, auto manufacturers have relied

on gasoline for years, because it had long-distance capability, reasonable price, simple operation,

and it is powered by a cheap, abundant, and widely accessible energy. Although attempts had

been made to produce electric cars during the 20th century, why didn’t they succeed? Why have

so many auto manufacturers decided to focus on investing in electric vehicles again? And what

compelled them to do so?

In 1900, only 22% of cars used gasoline, while 38% of cars used steam engines and 40%

used electricity. In the beginning, steam vehicles dominated the global automotive industry, but

sadly, they were impractical. Steam vehicles need to take 45 minutes to warm up in cold

weather, and their range was severely constrained by the need to constantly refill their tanks.

Also, starting them up with a crank lever took a lot of time and effort, and shifting gears was a

difficult procedure. While gasoline-powered cars were superior to steam-powered vehicles in the

early time, they had a foul odour and noisy voice, and frequently tremble and shake. Due to the

low noise and simple operation, electric vehicles are considered to be the best personal

transportation of the future, as well as being ideal for quick city tours.

Ford Henry deserved credit for making electric vehicles affordable to the middle class at

the turn of the century. Before that, electric vehicles were considered an expensive novelty,

mainly for the rich. He came up with a technology that would make it cheaper to produce electric

vehicles than all the other automakers combined, thus producing them more efficiently.

Compared to an electric vehicle that costs $43,000, Ford's best-known model at the time, the

Model T, sold for just $6,400. However, road conditions gradually improved, allowing people to
 Why are auto manufacturers switching to electric?
Alan Zhang Block B
travel outside of cities, and the increased availability of gasoline-powered automobiles led to the

end of electric vehicles.

In the past two decades, many countries have begun to adopt stricter emission measures

as concerns about the natural environment have increased. California will prohibit any auto

manufacturer from selling new passenger vehicles powered by internal combustion engines in

2035, followed by a ban on medium and heavy-duty trucks in 2045. Prior to that, a 1994 statute

on vehicle emissions was introduced to the auto manufacturers that are selling vehicles in

California, “The Clean Air Act allows California to seek authorization to enforce its standards

for new nonroad engines and vehicles, despite the preemption which prohibits states from

enacting emission standards for new nonroad engines and vehicles.” (United States

environmental protection agency, JUNE 13, 2022). This new policy opened a new door for the

world-renowned auto manufacturer, Toyota, who soon released their new product, the Toyota

Prius, known as the best-selling vehicle in California. Due to California’s stricter pollution

regulations for cars, owning a car like the Prius was a better choice for people with its less fuel

consumption and lower emissions, thus helped both the environment and personal wallets. For

commuters, Prius was a wonderful option as well. It had subsequently been welcomed and

praised by numerous celebrities. All these made Prius lead the way to a new era of electric

vehicles, and to other auto manufacturers starting to invest in the production of EVs.

Euro 7 emissions standards, the EU’s stricter emissions guidelines are coming into effect in

2025, which will reduce emissions significantly. But today’s engine technology makes it difficult

for automakers to meet the new standard. Although the EU 7 has not yet been formalized, two

major German automakers have already abandoned engine development, and Audi is one of

them.
 Why are auto manufacturers switching to electric?
Alan Zhang Block B
Audi was founded in 1910 in cologne, Germany, Audi is known for its good

performance, sophisticated interiors, the unique Quattro all-wheel-drive system and its

technology and style. Almost every model has a premium cabin. Audi has invested heavily in

diesel research and development, and many enthusiasts are pleased with the results. But Audi has

recently started to develop of electric vehicles, which are more environmentally friendly and less

expensive to maintain than cars with diesel or gasoline engines. As a result, Audi has decided to

stop selling cars with gasoline, diesel, and hybrid engines in 2026. With 4 models available for

purchase, the Q4 e-Tron SUV has already received a lot of compliments for its superb handling,

speed, style, comfort, and functionality. Compared to Tesla, Audi is quite competitive with

premium products, such as the e-Tron GT. However, replacing all of its product line with just 4

models will not stabilize Audi’s performance.

Many nations have started to implement strict emission regulations with current

environmental concerns, so many auto manufacturers like Audi are investing in the EV market.

The next 30 years will see a historic revolution in the automotive industry, with more new

technologies being introduced as the times go by, and a change in transportation means a change

in culture. Additionally, there are a wide variety of transportation needs in every city, and the

way we think about and interact with cars will change over time. For car enthusiasts, while the

future may be scary, fate is not set in stone.