EVs have now reached a crucial point in many countries as they pass beyond the early-adopter phase to go mainstream, with 5 percent of new car sales seeming to be the tipping point, according to Bloomberg.
The newcomers — Canada, Australia, Spain, Thailand and Hungary — join a cohort that also includes the U.S., China and most of Western Europe.
Why 5% is so important
Most successful new technologies — televisions, mobile phones, LED lightbulbs — follow an S-shaped adoption curve.
Sales move at a crawl in the early-adopter phase, then quickly once things go mainstream.
In the case of full-electric vehicles, 5 percent seems to be the inflection point. The time it takes to get to that level varies widely by country, but once the universal challenges of car costs, charger availability and driver skepticism are solved for the few, the masses soon follow.
This tipping point is alarming. Electric vehicles are not the solution. Public transport and bikes need to be cheaper and faster than cars, that is the tipping point we should be looking for.
It's okay to know EVs are not the pinnacle of transport evolution. BUT nearly everything it requires in resources can be recycled or live in 2nd use applications. And specialized industry for these are raising.
So technology wise, EVs are definetly a step forward.
Regarding the environment, we already see a shift coming from our current major main issue (CO2, NOX) to some different ones (harvesting).
Regarding more and better public transportation, we are nearly on a standstill (at least in Germany), while better legislative and monetary investments and infrastructures are required. That is not something , the industry or individuals can accomplish alone.