Electric Vehicles, Future Implications

The arrival of electric vehicles (EV) will have a profound effect on global society. EVs will reduce the progression of climate change as carbon-based emissions will decline greatly.  Gasoline will no longer be needed. A number of oil-producing countries will lose a significant source of income. Many petroleum-based corporations will either disappear or must seek alternate sources of revenue.  Many jobs will be lost as the industry fades. Two trends will facilitate the acceptance of EVs: (1) an increase in the range of travel per battery charge and (2) a reduction in the time to complete a charge. Recent improvements in battery technology (range and charge time) will make EVs more acceptable. Charging times are expected to be reduced to 10 minutes or shorter for a "fill." 

The number of gas stations will decline as they are replaced by electric charging stations. Charging locations in addition to home charging may become ubiquitous on highways, in parking lots and garages, and in other off-street locations; a trend that has already started. While some gas stations will transition into charging stations, many will become obsolete. Their removal or conversion to other uses may be problematic as aging underground gasoline storage tanks must be eliminated in order to prevent soil contamination from leaking gasoline.

Another problem is what to do with all the obsolete internal combustion autos as the population transitions to EVs. Hopefully, a program of recycling will get underway. Discarded combustion engines should be melted down with the steel used in the construction of other hardware. Junkyards will become less common as the need for used internal combustion car parts is reduced by the arrival of EVs. Also, EVs will have a longer life as they have fewer moving parts to wear out. It would not be surprising to see an EV car's body wear out before its engines.

The transition to EVs has already begun. Tesla and General Motors are eminent examples.  GM is expected to go all EVs in 14 years. Hopefully, the manufacture of EVs will be less costly than that of more complicated internal combustion vehicles resulting in lower prices which will facilitate the transition.