Question:
Although studies show electric cars are more environmentally friendly than petrol cars, less than 3 percent of all vehicles sold in 2020 worldwide were electric.
Write a letter to the editor of Hong Kong Post.
- Discuss why sales of EVs are so low.
- Suggest what can be done to attract more people to drive these vehicles.
Dear Editor,
The wretched earth has informed us that the deleterious effects of climate change are bearing down on us, yet environmentally-friendly electric vehicles are still not very much favoured, as they only comprised a meagre 3 percent of all vehicles sold around the world in 2020. While it is crucial to attract more people to purchase electric vehicles, it is also imperative that we sift through the reasons behind the low number of EVs sold.
Painting the sea of reasons with a broad brush, I have discerned two reasons that stand out.
Among them, electric vehicles may be too expensive. Common sense has it that not everybody is well-heeled enough to splurge on opulent cars -- EVs included. Even petrol cars are too expensive for many as people in major cities like Hong Kong and New York tend to rely upon public transportation. The price of an electric vehicle is one thing, yet the aggregate total of the price, licensing fees and the cost of charging them speaks volumes. People may wonder, "What if it breaks down? Is it reliable given it's relatively new?" All this amounts to just one factor.
On top of hefty price tags, people may have forgotten this running sore of climate change. Countries worldwide appear to have put this pressing issue on the back burner as COVID-19 is certainly all-the-more urgent. By all accounts, there has not been any noticeable advertisements of late on TV, nor has anyone reminded us lately that climate change is also ravaging the planet. And to not sit on our hands, we should contemplate switching to EVs. But one thing is for sure: Constant reminders are needed, given how busy we are to even have enough sleep.
Be that as it may, purchasing EVs remains a huge bone of contention. But the fact climate disasters are imminent remains. So, to nip a calamitious climate disaster in the bud, though, all is not lost as there are possible solutions to raising the sales of EVs.
To truly "cut ice" with those refusing to purchase EVs, the government can consider lifting licensing and maintenance fees for first-time EV buyers for the first year. As mentioned earlier, many are concerned about whether they can afford such high prices as obtaining a licence as well as fixing teething problems do cost an arm and a leg. Removing these fees via government subsidies appears an impeccable means of encouraging more people to opt for EVs since they only have to take care of the cost of an EV, getting rid of additional burden on those who can barely afford one.
Nobody wants to see the government kick the issue of education into the long grass. As such, education is yet another approach. It is high time the government and environmental protection companies as well as climate activists joined forces to educate the public about the upsides of using EVs in terms of environmental protection. Teaching them the dramatic rise in the global sea level should we continue using petrol cars would be preferable. Equally crucial is how the air quality will be affected as it may potentially afflict every one of us in the long run. They have also got to let citizens learn how much everyone will suffer on the receiving end of abysmal air quality in order to galvanise them to take bold steps like buying EVs to protect the environment.
Suffice it to say, people's awareness of the essence of protecting the planet is the nub of low EV sales. It is only after the public learns about how much EVs will help that people begin to switch to EVs. What everybody also needs to know is that becoming rats deserting this sinking ship whenever a problem strikes is such a fanciful concept. Otherwise, invariably unsatisfactory EV sales and cataclysmic climate disasters are par for the course.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
Comments