The electric future of mobility

This is confirmed by the first results of the Smart Mobility Report 2020 drawn up by the Milan Polytechnic Energy & Strategy Group. In 2019 almost 2.3 million electric passenger cars and Light Duty Vehicles (both BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle  and PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), were registered globally, recording a rate of growth of 9% with respect to 2018. Electric vehicles make up 2.5% of overall registrations of passenger cars and Light Duty Vehicles globally.

China is the largest market in the world, with almost 1.2 million electric vehicles registered in 2019. About twice as many as Europe which, with 600,000 units registered (+44%), is the confirmed second market. The United States follow, with a drop of -12% with respect to 2019.

Again for the Smart Mobility Report, in the specific European market, Germany represents the biggest market, with more than 100,000 electric cars registered (+60% with respect to 2018). This represents 19.5% of the annual registrations of BEV cars in the EU, followed by Great Britain (more than 72,000 electric cars registered, +21% with respect to 2018), Holland and France, with almost 67,000 (+146%) and more than 61,000 (+34%) electric cars registered respectively.

In Italy 17,065 electric cars were registered in 2019, 10,566 BEV and 6,499 PHEV. Italian green mobility grew by +78% with respect to 2019, up +111% for BEV vehicles and +42% for PHEV.

This is not a promotion to buy vehicles, it is a swing towards the decarbonisation which Europe is asking of us: we should remember that while we depend on oil companies for petrol, for electrical energy we could be self-sufficient, producing it with solar panels and/or wind farms!

An on-line investigation by Osservatorio Auto Findomestic interviewed 10,600 drivers between 18 and 65 years old from 16 countries, finding that in the next 5 years 57% of the sample will buy a hybrid car, especially in Mexico (80%), Italy (76%), Spain (75%) and Brazil (75%), while 43% will buy a fully electric car, with percentages around 70% in Mexico (72%), Brazil and China (68%). 46% in Italy.

The ecological nature of electric cars forms an important added value for 89% of car owners (93% in Italy), convinced that driving electric cars could considerably reduce pollution. 54% (46% in Italy), would only buy an electric car if its range were greater than 300 km, a problem particularly felt in Spain (71%), Germany (67%) and France (62%). The implementation of stations along the road and motorway network would reassure two thirds of drivers in the whole world (71% in Italy) who consider that present infrastructures are insufficient.

The world of transport – especially private – is changing and is “electrifying” more and more, and it is necessary to recognize that what is happening is a revolution of the ever smarter and greener habits of citizens. Buildings are the real protagonists of the change, including new functions, like charging stations which are becoming for all intents and purposes an integrated remotely-controlled system. It is therefore fundamental to overcome the anxiety about charging, to promote the installation of charging stations in the service, commercial and hospitality sectors as well, linked to “green” tourism.

We should remember that with the conversion of the Simplification Decree into law there are many new aspects concerning eco-mobility, including the installation of “at least one charging point for every 1,000 inhabitants”, bringing the number of stations in Italy to about 60,000, as compared to the current 10,000 or a few more. We should not forget that making use of at least one stimulus operation of the 110% tax superbonus, one can obtain the incentive for the installation of charging stations as well

With this in mind the correct choice is to rely on a partner like BTicino world specialist in electrical and digital infrastructures, to set up a complete Energy Efficiency programme, from optimised monitoring systems to improve processes and services, to electric vehicle charging columns.