September 9th will be World EV Day, the date when motorists can make a pledge that they will be part of a greener future by switching from petrol or diesel-powered cars to an electric model. With the desire to be more eco-friendly aligned with a desire to shift away from oil in an era of Russian economic weaponisation of hydrocarbons, there is no doubt where the motoring world is heading.
All that means precision engineering companies in the UK and elsewhere will be focused firmly on producing the best electric vehicles. The question is whether that means newer, specialist EV companies will lead the way, or whether existing carmarkers will remain in the vanguard.
According to the deputy editor of Auto Express, John Mcllroy, the answer is that the same firms that have spent their history up until now making cars that run on fossil fuels will stay at the forefront. The reason, he argued, is that they can draw on their extensive heritage and experience when it comes to design.
He cited Alfa Romeo as an example, noting the design boss at the Italian firm has set up a team with the mission of radically transforming the line-up over the next five years, but not without ignoring the benefits the marquee can leverage from its rich history.
“Alfa Romeo isn’t afraid to play the heritage card when needed. It could be elements like this that give ‘traditional’ car manufacturers a USP over fast-emerging EV-based start-ups, particularly those from China,” remarked Mr Mcllroy.
There has certainly been plenty of talk about new EV models coming from China. The Daily Telegraph recently highlighted the arrival of BYD in the European market, with a promise of “premium accessibility”.
With the cars being available this year without the waiting times seen elsewhere, the Chinese expertise in EV technology and the country’s control of much of the materials needed in batteries, the article suggested such firms could become big players in the European market.
The key question may be, therefore, whether they can overcome the remaining hurdle of not having the heritage and brand advantages of established big name makers.