Return of the electric car

At the recent Detroit motor show, one word raised a buzz amid the current doom and gloom of the global car industry: “electrification”.

Two key factors have put zero-emission vehicles such as all-electric cars back on the car industry’s agenda.

Firstly, the US Government and European Union have recently introduced regulations forcing makers to lower their fleets’ average fuel consumption, with financial penalties enforced if they exceed a set carbon dioxide emissions limit.

Then there’s peak oil – the point at which the demand for oil exceeds the industry’s ability to supply it. Some of the world’s leading oil experts – such as Dr Peter Wells – are predicting conventional peak oil will arrive about 2014, with liquid-fuels peaking in about 2020.

Not all makers, however, are convinced buyers are queuing up to buy electric cars.

Stuff