If All Gas Stations Are Replaced By Electric Stations, Will Electric Cars Be Reliable?
Although electric vehicles are a relatively new phenomenon for many of us, the majority of us know someone who owns one, whether it's a Nissan Leaf, BMW I series, or Tesla.
Batteries and charging have been on the periphery of discussions about EVs for several years now, and two of the biggest challenges we continue to hear about are batteries and charging. Both of these issues contribute to one of the top four adoption barriers: range anxiety.
Tesla, like many, has pushed the boundaries of both battery technology and vehicle design in recent years, achieving a range comparable to many kinship diesel cars on the market today.
Refueling: Electric Vehicles vs Internal Combustion Vehicles
The internal combustion engine has existed long enough for every driver (and would-be driver) to comprehend how these vehicles require fuel.
The majority of people will fill their tanks to the brim and beyond the orange warning light before venturing to refuel. Of course, there are additional reasons to keep your tank topped off more frequently than that, but the majority of us would not consider adding a liter to the tank now simply because we can.
However, many EV owners must consider this, particularly if they own a vehicle with a shorter range or slower charging capabilities.
Do petrol stations still have a place in an electric future?
There is a lot of discussion about democratizing charging and how blockchain technology can be used to facilitate energy sharing and the creation of networks of residential and commercial property charging points.
When we visit the filling station today, it takes no more than a minute or two to fill the tank and a few additional minutes to complete the transaction. Charging batteries takes significantly longer, and even if we assume we will not stay for a full charge (which could take hours), the time required to top-up the car will be significantly longer than it is today.
With this in mind, we'll see an increase in charging points in areas where people naturally spend more time, such as shipping centers and restaurants, as well as an evolution of filling stations to encourage longer dwell times.
Filling stations will evolve into destinations in their own right, as we are already seeing. Numerous forecourts are already filling the void left by neighborhood convenience stores, and many are redeveloping their space to include coffee shops, restaurants, and even areas for people to open their laptops and settle in for a little work.
As filling stations' fuel mix evolves to include more alternative fuels (such as electric and hydrogen), they will need to adapt their offerings to meet new customer needs while also attracting new types of customers.
With a shift in gas stations, Will EV become more convenient?
As the cost of electric vehicles has decreased, more consumers have purchased them than ever before. And as battery technology advances, EVs will become more appealing to drivers concerned about their daily commute being limited to 100 or 200 miles. As the number of EVs increases, we will also require a means of powering those EVs.
Today, the majority of our electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants, which pollute just as much as the gasoline we are attempting to phase out. If we are able to phase out our gas-guzzlers in the coming years, we will undoubtedly be moving toward a more environmentally friendly world powered by clean, renewable energy.
The Bottom Line
For an increasing number of people, electric vehicles have already supplanted gas-guzzlers, and as technology advances, they will gain popularity. Until battery technology improves, the majority of us will continue to make trips to the pump, but with advancements in technology, our gas guzzlers may become obsolete.
