Newsletter | 新能源汽车国际市场竞争正式步入“白热化”阶段，为何现代消费者热衷于新能源？

Electric cars run at least partially on electricity. Unlike conventional vehicles that use a gasoline or diesel-powered engine, electric cars and trucks use an electric motor powered by electricity from batteries or a fuel cell.

In terms of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, electric cars and trucks are often cleaner than even the most efficient conventional vehicles. Exactly how clean depends on the type of vehicle and the source of the electricity.

Electric vehicles are becoming more visible on Chinese roads, thanks to new manufacturer investment, batteries that are more technologically advanced and less expensive, and a higher consumer comfort level. This year, five automakers have introduced EVs that can deliver more than 200 miles of range.

A budget electric vehicle (EV) selling in China for $4,500 (£3,200) is now outselling Tesla's more upmarket cars. The compact car is proving a big hit for state-owned SAIC Motor, China's top automaker.

Last month sales of the budget electric car in China were around double those of Tesla, which was questioned this month over safety issues there.

The revenue of electric cars also booming in European market.

Germany is the leading European market for plug-in electric car sales, while Norway has the largest share of EV registrations among European countries. Norway has a population of roughly 5.4 million people, and every second new car registered in Norway is a battery electric vehicle. 

Globally, plug-in light vehicle sales are tipped to reach a new record in 2020, with Europe being the largest driver of growth.

It is easy to make a positive and a negative case for the electric-car maker's global market capitalisation.

Electric vehicles are becoming cheaper, making them more accessible to the general public. As well as being incredibly cheap to run, electric vehicles are becoming more widely produced, resulting in a drop in price. Due to electric vehicles being available for a while, buying a second-hand electric vehicle is also becoming much cheaper.

In the next decade, we will see a huge increase in the number of electric cars on our roads. Factors such as government support, emerging technology and a changing public opinion are resulting in many drivers choosing to make the switch over to clean, fully-electric vehicles.

It may come as a surprise today, but back in the 19th century, battery-powered trikes and trams were pretty common.

While the EV did not last and was off the market by 1960, it told people that EVs could go fast as well because this tiny little four-door car could go all the way up to 60mph. Not bad for a car of the ’50s and pretty good for an EV in general.

When the Tesla Roadster came in 2008, it came with hypercar-like looks and specs. So yes, it was based, rather roughly, on the Lotus Elise. And it came expensive, and they weren’t many takers for the car as well, with only 2,450 selling in a four-year period.

In December 2010, Nissan releases the LEAF, an all-electric, zero tailpipe emissions car. In January 2013, Nissan begins assembling the LEAF in Tennessee for the North American market thanks to a loan from the Energy Department.

Electric vehicles hold a lot of potential for helping the world create a more sustainable future. If the future vehicle makers transitioned all the light-duty vehicles to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles, the industry could reduce dependence on foreign oil by 30-60 percent, while lowering the carbon pollution from the transportation sector by as much as 20 percent.

In the longer term, the governments from several countries want to outlaw the sale of all wholly petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

The problem is, electric cars cost more to design and build than conventional models, meaning it is currently hard to make a profit from them. Bigger manufacturers can throw money at the problem now, and hope to benefit from economies of scale later.

However, smaller companies can't do that - so instead it will re-emphasise their credentials as a luxury brand when it goes all-electric.

That might make sense from a marketing point of view, but making the sums add up looks like a steep challenge.

Today, more than a century later, polluting diesel and petrol cars still dominate sales globally but there are encouraging signs that 2021 could prove the start of a lasting electric future.

Norway, a nation whose wealth is based on fossil fuels, last year became the first country in the world where the sale of electric cars overtook those powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines.

Electric vehicles made up just over 54 percent of all new cars sold in the country in 2020, a global record, and up from a mere 1 per cent of the overall market a decade ago. It still has some way to go but Norway looks on course to meet a government target, set in 2016, of banning sales of all internal combustion engine vehicles by 2025.