Electric cars are no more than just a thing of sci-fi movies or part of a modernisation era that seems far too developed to be witnessed during our time, while we are still alive and kicking. Electric cars are already roaming the streets of Europe, America, and Asia, and it will soon be common to see them in African and Middle Eastern countries. The global drive towards electric vehicles, which are clearly more environment friendly and less costly on the long-term, is only increasing at very rapid rates. The Guardian has reported that there are now more than 1m electric cars in Europe after sales soared by more than 40% during the first half of this year, according to new figures. “Europe hit the milestone nearly a year after China, which has a much larger car market, but ahead of the US, which is expected to reach the landmark later this year driven by the appetite for Tesla's latest model. Between January and June around 195,000 plug-in cars were sold across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, a 42% increase on the same period a year before. With growth speeding up, the cumulative total is expected to hit 1.35m by the end of the year, according to industry analysts EV-Volumes,” The Guardian reported. In Europe, Norway is the country leading electric car sales with 36,500 sales and a share of 37% new registrations. However, Germany is expected to overtake Norway by the end of this year with the rapid growth in the German sales of electric cars. The Netherlands and Denmark also have stable and good growth rates, which makes them strong competitors. Solar-powered electric cars are expected to be introduced to the global car market—specifically, the European market—in early 2019 by a start-up company based in Munich, hoping to bring the new kind of electric cars to the light. “Sono Motors” is currently in the final development phase of the solar charging system for its first car, according to UK Express. The car is expected to let its driver recharge it as he drives. The vehicle would have solar cells integrated into the bodywork, allowing it to gain power while driving. In Africa, some countries are already preparing for electric cars. According to Daily Nation, the new award-winning 2018 Zoe electric cars are likely to be seen on Kenyan roads next year, as about 80% of the vehicles to be available in the Kenyan market are already pre-owned, which means that an increase of hybrid and plug-in electric cars is likely to be seen every year, expensive as they might be. More countries in the Middle East and Africa are seeking the less expensive versions of electric cars. That includes the smaller cars with batteries of a lighter weight, and this might lead to a growth in the purchasing and use of these smaller electric vehicles. “The Middle East and Africa are significantly investing in the small electric vehicle market. Latin America along with the Middle East and Africa regions are expected to witness a significant growth in terms of the adoption of small electric vehicles,” Global News Wire said. Whether the vehicle relies on solar power, is plugged-in to be charged, or is a hybrid that comes with both a gasoline tank and a battery, electric cars seem to be the new future of vehicles, slowly making their way into global markets, with less pollution, more efficient power consumption, and less costs on the long-term, albeit expensive at first. The growing electric car sales will only become more interesting to witness and will perhaps one day make gasoline-fuelled cars a thing of the past.
