2014 EVs on a Surge

EV and hybrid sales are set to surge 67% in 2014 according to IHS Automotive.  That’s in comparison to just 3.6% increase in overall global production. The driving factors – tightening of emission standards, introduction of compelling new models, cheaper batteries and a big drive in China to help combat city air pollution. IHS reported: “This means more than 403,000 electrified vehicles are expected to be built in 2014, up from 242,000 in 2013. The 2013 figure itself was a 44% rise from a year earlier.” As production increases pricing will continue to fall simply due to economies of scale. As IHS notes  – “Price is the main reason why uptake of these vehicles hasn’t been as high as expected, so incentives are critical if countries are serious about the adoption of such vehicles.”  Click for more on the report here. Hello Australian politicians – do we want clean air in our cities or do we want to continue spending billions of dollars in health care costs due to air pollution. This externalised cost to oil based transport should be factored in to any economic argument for EV incentives.  The figures are simply staggering – see our page on Health Issues for more information.