Electric and hybrid cars no longer carry the same stigma they once did and are now seen as a viable and sustainable alternative to petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles.
So much so that Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has announced every new model it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor.
The company said in a statement that it is placing electrification at the core of its future business.
"This is about the customer," says Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo president and chief executive. "People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs."
The company will introduce electrified cars across its model range; some will be fully electric, and others will be plug-in hybrid cars or mild hybrid cars.
Samuelsson says Volvo plans to have sold one million electrified cars by 2025. By the same time, it hopes to have climate-neutral manufacturing operations in place.
This was announced in the same week that the French government declared it plans to end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles in the country by 2040, forming part of its plans to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord.
According to The Guardian, Nicolas Hulot, the country's new ecology minister, said this would be tough for car manufacturers but that the industry was well equipped to make the switch.
"Our [car] makers have enough ideas in the drawer to nurture and bring about this promise ... which is also a public health issue."
Other countries, including India, the Netherlands and Germany, are having similar discussions within their respective governments about phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also said this week the first Tesla Model 3 electric cars will be handed over to their new owners this month, and that production will ramp up to 20 000 per month by December.
The car was announced last April and has already racked up over 200 000 pre-orders. The Tesla Model 3 is touted by Tesla as an affordable electric vehicle for the masses.
The car reportedly has a range of 346km per charge and can go from zero to 100kmph in less than six seconds. There are no plans yet for release in SA.
Share