EVs 'more popular than people think'

Date: 10/10/2011

The electric vehicle (EV) market looks to be going from strength to strength, as one expert claims the form of transport is more popular than people think.

Michael Boxwell, Author of the 2011 Electric Car Guide and Editor of TheElectricCarGuide.com, explains that one of the major driving forces behind this trend has been the upward movement in electric bicycle sales.

Indeed, during 2010 more than 27 million electric bikes were sold across the globe, he points out.

"Here in the UK, there are hundreds of thousands of electric bikes now on the road - and they are slowly but surely replacing individual car journeys," he suggests.

Mr Boxwell says that with AA reporting petrol demand has declined 15 per cent in 18 months, "it is no surprise that electric bike sales in the UK have doubled in the same period."

On the subject of hydrogen-powered automobiles, Mr Boxwell claims that the key to boosting demand for them lies in making the cost of extracting the material lower, as it is currently "extremely high".

However, he adds that he does not see it as a fuel with a future and suggests it will most likely be overtaken by other options.

An event that could boost interest in EVs further is next year's London Olympic Games.

Justin Lovric, Co-Director of low-carbon motor festival EcoVelocity 2011, says this is because carbon-offsetting will be a major theme at the athletics tournament.

Posted by Nick Anderson