The number of electrified cars on our roads is steadily increasing, with more and more motorists switching from cars with a combustion engine to electric or hybrid vehicles. This has to do with the fact that the range of models is increasing, and that vehicles have improved significantly in terms of suitability for everyday use and range. This development is also reflected in the statistics.
In recent years, I have predicted time and again that electric mobility would be here soon. Today, I can say: it has truly arrived – and it will continue to increase. In 2021, the market share for plug-in vehicles (battery-electric vehicles, BEV; and plug-in hybrid vehicles, PHEV) was 22.5%; 13.3% were BEVs alone. This puts BEVs on a par with newly registered diesel vehicles. The industry has thus significantly exceeded the goals set by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (roadmap for electric mobility, 15% plug-in vehicles by 2022).
And there will be more! It is estimated that around 50% of all newly registered cars will be equipped with a plug by 2025, up to 80% by 2030 – with the majority of them then likely to be BEVs.
The announcements made by all car manufacturers last year show that this is not a far-fetched estimate. For example, Audi wants to present their last new generation of combustion engines in 2026 and then focus solely on electric vehicles until 2035. Mercedes, Stellantis (Peugeot/Opel/Fiat/Chrysler) and the other Volkswagen Group brands report similar targets. Even US manufacturers General Motors and Ford, which are not necessarily known to be pioneers in terms of economical vehicles, have announced that they want to offer 50% of their vehicles as electric versions in the USA by 2030. Ford has also announced an e-mobility offensive in Europe. And as the last major manufacturer to date, Toyota has now also announced – after some initial hesitation – that by 2030 it will invest more than CHF 66 billion in the development of new electric cars.
The last “but” is and will remain the charging infrastructure. Even though there is massive investment into public charging infrastructure, the latest findings show that charging is primarily done at home and at work. And this is where homeowners and employers are called upon to invest. Investment is “long-term investment of capital” with the aim of generating a return, and that is exactly what it will be. In the medium term, properties and workplaces with charging facilities will become more attractive than those without them.
Dino Graf, President of e-mobile and Head of Group Communication at AMAG.
