Since the Great Smog of 1952, which killed 4,000 Londoners in just five days, air pollution has been linked to a shortened lifespan. Over 60 years later air pollution is still a valid health concern and with more cars on the road than ever, transport is now a major contributor to poor air quality in the UK. Unfortunately, the threat of climate change now hangs over the world and it has been argued that if we do not reduce our polluting emissions we risk the quantity and quality of water resources, crop yields and may even see an increase in climate-related hazards such as droughts and hurricanes, according to the International Panel on Climate Change.
So is it time to switch to electric? The future is foggy (or smoggy), at best when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs). What we can tell you is that global investment in the EV industry is growing and that many governments are keen to make the switch. Earlier this year, India made a commitment to produce only EVs by 2030, cutting off the traditional internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) market completely. This is a deliberate, bellowing statement to the world, driven by India’s estimated 17 million pollution-related deaths per annum, that India wants to be at the forefront of this technological revolution. Whether this ambitious target is achievable or not is almost irrelevant – it signals a push towards this form of transport from one of the world’s most rapidly developing countries.