Charging ahead

Let's be honest, electric cars haven't had an easy ride, if you'll excuse the pun. And perhaps for a few legitimate reasons - range, speed and price are all valid concerns in terms of traditional vehicle demands and expectations.

The fact is, the problems that could be eased by the mass adoption of electric cars far outweigh the complaints around convenience and performance. How many people really drive more than 400km, at speeds of more than 135km, every day? We plug in appliances to charge all the time - cellphones, laptops, GPS devices; is adding a car really that much more effort? Get home, plug it in, have dinner, get some shut-eye, wake up the next morning and you're good to go.

Given that road transport is responsible for around 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions, SA, as the biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter in Africa and 12th highest worldwide, has a responsibility to rethink its transport profile. With millions of cars spewing CO2 into the air each day, and a vehicle emissions tax coming in September, electric cars could go a long way towards trimming our sizeable carbon footprint and positioning SA ahead of increased environmental regulation.

While there are concerns that the planned series of electricity price hikes will affect the cost of running an electric vehicle (EV), it will have a minimal impact on the roughly 5c per km they require, versus 80c/km for conventional cars (according to local EV developer Optimal Energy). At the same time, petrol is not exactly getting any cheaper, with recent increases of almost 50c a litre. Also, while the electricity running these vehicles would still technically be generated using coal, the fact that it cuts out tailpipe emissions is already a big step in the right direction. And if the country's crawl towards renewable energies ever materialises into something concrete, the main sources of electricity will hopefully be clean and sustainable.

Ideally, all of us would just travel less by car, but until SA has a safe, reliable, and affordable public transport system, this is just not a viable option for most South Africans. And even if the Gautrain and Bus Rapid Transport system manage to become practical alternatives, chances are many people will keep and use a personal car for much of the time. So, the challenge is finding a way to popularise electric vehicles and implement a convenient charging infrastructure - something many dismiss as pie in the smog-filled sky.

Social development is a primary motivation for, not argument against, technologies like electric cars.

Lezette Engelbrecht, Copy editor and journalist

However, these kinds of systems are already being trialled in other countries. Shai Agassi, of Better Place fame, has organised the first tryout of an electric car “refilling” system in Tokyo this month. It works by replacing entire batteries at roadside stations, cutting out the need for charging. The company plans to build infrastructure networks for EV recharging by next year, and is already piloting a network of 100 public charging points in Copenhagen.

Yes, these are developed economies with developed climate strategies and developed budgets, and I'm not disputing the fact that the widespread introduction of EVs comes with challenges regarding consumer acceptance and infrastructure. These will take time to resolve, particularly in SA where demands on budget and resources are considerable. But, and it's a big one, the alternative - steadily increasingly carbon emissions on a huge scale, and its effects - reduces these difficulties to mere hiccups in comparison with the sobering prospect of global climatic disruptions.

Some argue that issues of poverty, hunger, health, and education are more pressing than the introduction of an “electric white elephant”. But this reasoning fails to recognise the fundamental and disturbing truth lurking beneath seeming green gimmickry - the fact that the changes in climate, driven by increasing temperatures, will have a devastating impact on every one of these spheres, and Africa tops the regions to be worst affected.

The environment is not separate to the daily needs of people, it is integral to it. Mass environmental migration is a reality, and the reasoning that social development is a priority is an argument for, not against, implementing initiatives like electric cars.

For many, the electric car remains a gimmick, a fad catering to a niche market, never likely to take off. But then, that's what they said about the first automobile, computer, and even the Internet. I guess it's a case of “the more things change...”.

The only problem is, when it comes to the world's climate, the more things change, the more radically it affects every aspect of life as we know it. In light of this, innovation, which has long been a defining factor in the motor industry, will have to become geared towards producing a cleaner running, more efficient, affordable vehicle. As Alan Kay said: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”