Electric vehicles are enjoying increasing popularity as emerging companies are striving to find new and innovative ways to make owning an EV both practical and affordable. While they used to be a mere feature of futuristic films, electric cars are becoming a reality all over the world.
Of course, adoption rates are significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries due to the costs and infrastructure involved in owning an EV. But, as the technology is quickly changing and developing, these cars are becoming more and more popular.
One of the most important factors involved in encouraging greater use of electric vehicles is their impact on the environment and the way in which governments and international bodies are trying to encourage using them over traditional cars.
What’s Influencing the EV Industry?
For the development of electric vehicles, there are plenty of factors that play a part in the direction in which the industry goes, from cost and regulations to innovation and government regulation.
Here are some of the main factors influencing the EV industry.
- Improvements In Technology: Technology has improved and evolved in such a way that batteries can now be used for longer, charged more quickly and they’re available at lower prices. AS production is scaling up, prices are dropping, making EVs more affordable than ever.
- Government Regulations: Many governments around the world are offering incentives to use EVs, including tax breaks, rebates and various types of grants. This comes as a result of regulatory pressure on governments to reduce carbon emissions.
- Expansion of Infrastructure: One of the most significant limitations on the EV industry used to be charging infrastructure, but this is quickly changing. Charging stations are quickly becoming increasingly available all over, with plenty of companies (even oil companies, interestingly enough) investing in them.
- Environmental Awareness: It’s not only governments and industries that are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues. Individuals are catching on too, resulting in a desire for more eco-friendly options, especially among younger generations.
- Long-Term Operational Costs: EVs may be pricey upfront, but they offer pretty good cost savings over time, since electricity is cheaper than petrol. Also, drivers get to enjoy other perks as well, including free parking, special lanes and more.
Apps and Startups for Electric Vehicle Owners
There are plenty of companies that have gotten involved in manufacturing things like EV batteries, charging stations and related software, completely transforming the nature of the industry altogether. Here are some of the top apps and startups that can be used by electric vehicle owners.
Charge Point
Founded in the United States in 2007, Charge Point is the designer, developer and marketer of electric vehicle charging system infrastructure and related cloud-based services. The company helps users locate, reserve and authenticate EV charging points easily and effectively.
The hardware produced by Charge Point caters to home, commercial and fast-charging applications. With over one-and-a-half thousand employees, the company is publicly owned and based in Campbell, California.
Wattif EV AS
Wattif EV AS is a Norwegian provider of electric vehicle infrastructure services. Catering to customers from hotels and businesses to landowners and local authorities, the company offers turnkey services that cover the entire EV development chain.
The company also offers charging station software which allows clients to speed up the process of hassle-free access to charging infrastructure becoming a reality.
Watiff EV AS was founded in 2020 and has been through two funding rounds so far.
Sono Motors
Sono Group is a Munich-based company that was founded in 2016 and is still privately held. Operating in the field of solar-powered electric mobility, the company integrates solar panels into a vehicle’s bodywork. From there, the energy that is captured is used to charge the vehicle’s battery.
At the moment, Sono Group is working on developing its very own solar-electric vehicle that they’ve called the Sion. In the long run, they’d like to integrate their solar-electric technology in other public transportation modes in an effort to move towards sustainable public transportation in the form of everything from trains and buses to trucks and camper vans.
Wallbox
Wallbox NV is a smart electric vehicle charging and energy management company founded in Barcelona, Spain in 2015. Founded by Enric Asunción, the company’s technology is designed to be able to manage communication between users, vehicles, grids, buildings and chargers.
The ultimate goal is to achieve EV charging solutions that are simple and easy to use for both residential and business use, laying the foundation for eventual mass electric vehicle ownership everywhere.
ZePlug
Founded in Paris in 2014, ZePlug is the provider of electric vehicle charging services that offer private charging terminals. ZePlug provides turnkey charging services long with an exclusive remote consumption monitoring system and maintenance services. This allows businesses and others using the service to charge their vehicles at affordable rates.
ZePlug was founded by Nicolas Banchet having gone through a fairly recent acquisition, the company now has about 200 employees.
