According to Pike Research, a trend toward awareness, manufacture and usage of e-vehicles will only intensify. A recent report from the firm predicts 3.2 million electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, such as Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf model and General Motors Co.’s Volt, will be sold between 2010 and 2015 with a compound annual growth rate of 106%. Projections from Bloomberg New Energy Finance echo these sentiments. It believes plug-in electric hybrid cars could account for nine percent of total U.S. auto sales by 2020 and 22% by 2030.

These figures are unquestionably impressive and undeniably important, considering 19% of global energy use and 23% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are currently attributable to transportation². However, with the world’s automotive services geared towards supporting the 800 million fuel-powered vehicles that currently travel our roads, transportation needs set to increase and escalating concerns from consumers around their practicality, mass use of e-vehicles are still some way off from becoming a reality.

Growing Pains

I agree with Pike Research and Bloomberg New Energy Finance in that the potential for e-mobility is tremendous, bearing in mind demand and choice are rising, cost is falling and the target market is getting bigger by the day. However, as with all innovative new products destined for widespread use, this cocktail of ingredients is rarely enough for success. In the case of e-mobility, it requires an extra dose of education, affordability and transparency regarding performance. The current lack of an adequate battery-charging infrastructure, notably smart grids, is a cause for concern.

Education

The introduction of electric power for on-road vehicles brings a sea change in technology to the automotive sector. High-voltage components, for example, are required not only in engine and battery components but in all of the electronic controls. Unfortunately, such technologies come with potentially lethal risks. Education in high-voltage safety and handling of lithium-ion batteries is therefore imperative for anyone that encounters e-vehicles on a regular basis, including staff at manufacturing plants, consumers, service providers, workshop mechanics and the emergency services.

Proficient training courses in handling such issues are already available in the Asia Pacific region from accredited third-party providers. Adoption, however, is severely lagging behind the uptake in electric vehicles. In my view, this is due to a lack of awareness and/or shared responsibility from the industry’s major stakeholders. This must change quickly if manufacturers are to achieve growth targets and governments are to reach carbon emission goals. For example, if mechanics in garages or paramedics in ambulances are ill-equipped with the knowledge of how to handle, safely and effectively, high-voltage components in e-vehicles the consequences could be severe and the repercussions long-lived.

The issue lies in the fact that the majority of parties that come into contact with e-vehicles are often consumers, small businesses or small government departments with budgets that restrict their personal ability to take the appropriate action. Moving forward, I would like to see accountability for education tackled collectively by major stakeholders and ahead of the curve.