Electric vehicle prospects outside the USA - A British viewpoint

As the future availability of cheap fuel for road vehicles derived from natural oil gradually becomes less certain, alternative energy sources for road vehicles are increasingly the subject of R & D programmes in many parts of the world. During the last three or four years many prototype high performance battery electric commercial vehicles have been made and placed in service, and once the numbers of vehicles produced becomes high, manufacturing costs may be expected to decrease and the economics of production vehicles will become attractive to operators. The total number of light commercial vehicles in the world is not sufficient either to enable the introduction of electric versions to make any significant impact on gasoline usage nor to give rise to major commercial opportunities. Within a few years hybrid cars, using off-peak electricity from the mains supply for a high proportion of their energy requirements, will be able to provide the majority of motorists with the private transport they require. As a result, such vehicles are likely to be produced in large numbers, providing new commercial opportunities, while at the same time effecting very large reductions in the quantities of gasoline needed for personal transport.