Electric Cars: The Future of Driving

Cars have come a long way from their initial designs, capability and utilities. The development of internal combustion engines in the 18th century preceded the production of the first car credited to Karl Benz in 1886. These pioneer vehicles which had pretty simplistic designs were concerned more with functionality and durability.

1938 Horch Cabriolet

Over the years these cars (ICE's) which have become a very popular means of transportation throughout the world have improved significantly offering owners additional features for luxury and comfort such as air conditioners, rear parking cameras, GPS..etc just to name a few. However, the evolution of cars has moved a step further with the advent of electric vehicles (EV's), and more than ever since the inception of the idea for electric powered vehicles, it is seen now as a viable and possible alternative to the present vehicles which run on fossil fuel.

These EV's do not have engines but are powered by front and rear motors which do not run on fuel or diesel but on electricity which is stored in batteries, enabling the cars to be charged like a mobile phone right in your homes. 

Tesla Model S

The EV,s come with all the luxury that cars could possibly have in this age. (Check out the features of Tesla Model S) Car manufacturers who produce vehicles with ICE's such as GM, Toyota, Chevrolet,etc. are also in the race for electric vehicles and this could partly be because of the effect of global warming in different parts of world which results in the melting ice caps, heat waves, tsunamis and other catastrophic events. These events have had an adverse effect on plant and animal life on our planet.In view of these issues, a number of countries especially in Europe have adopted environmental laws and even implemented taxes which is aimed at reducing the amount of carbon emissions, charging person's with vehicles with a higher CO2 emission a higher rate of tax.

Tesla Model X

So, producing cars which are not powered by fossil fuel has become a priority for a number of car manufacturers, and in the lead (taking publicity into consideration ) of this revolution is TESLA who has invested a lot in perfecting the electric vehicle technology.The question here however is, what does this technology portend for Nigeria? Where Giant industry's like Tesla are investing in technologies that would render crude oil potentially unimportant.Though the need for energy worldwide is enormous, but other alternative sources are becoming more viable and so Nigeria may likely be in a crisis in the near future if the country does not break its over dependence on oil and start improving other sectors of the economy which can generate revenue for the country.

According to the freedom fuel foundation countries like Norway and Netherlands have a target, that by 2025 they would stop the sale of fuel or diesel powered vehicles and replace them with electric vehicles (EV). Germany and India have similar plans but place their targets at 2030. Most likely others countries would follow suite and soon the global demand for crude oil will drop.So!! what happens when the investments made globally towards alternative energy source starts yielding positive fruits? How would a Nigerian government who is reluctant to cut down it's expenses fund it's activities? Would the tax burden on the citizens then be increased? Food for thought people.