Muscat: Did you scroll through Twitter…apologies, ‘X’ as it’s famously called right now? If you did, then you are familiar with what Elon Musk has done to be the poster boy of EV.

Remember the good old days of 2008, when the world was revolving at a decent pace. Then Elon Musk came along and introduced the Tesla Roadster, the first highway-legal serial production all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells and featured a range of 244 miles on a full charge and an electric motor that was good for 248 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. Cut to the present: with 15 years of innovation and market disruption and the addition of new players, the EV sector is set to boom beyond imagination. However, the stats paint a different picture.

According to Edmunds.com, Americans have bought a record 1 million-plus hybrids, up 76% from last year. EV sales are nearing an annual record of 1 million this year, but their year-over-year progress has stalled. With America’s automakers pledging for a future that will overtaken by EVs, the reality isn’t shaping up to be very promising. 

One reason for the need for more progress is the amount you shell out to purchase an EV. Sure, it has all the latest tech and is the right step toward sustainability and carbon neutrality, but at the end of the day, you will be staring at your wallet, hoping for savings. Hybrids, being the cheaper option and hanging in the balance of being environmentally friendly and future-proof, are the obvious choice for a consumer. With top players like Ford expecting to produce enough hybrids to quadruple sales within five years, it gives us a fair idea of the consumer attitude.

The other concern with EVs is the need for charging ports. The majority of consumers worry about finding charging stations compared to gas stations, which is a factor that puts doubts before purchasing an EV. This has also been one of the main reasons EVs have had a challenge penetrating the Indian markets. However, brands like Ola and Ather have introduced attractive features and offers through their two-wheelers. According to market research by Jato Dynamics, EV sales grew 112% YoY during April-September 2023, giving India’s automotive industry a glimmer of hope to pursue the desire to go carbon neutral and attract new customers. However, consumers need help to shift to EVs, with the maximum number of charging stations only available in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.

Then, there’s the point of preference since most customers want to feel like they are driving. Many brands include custom sounds to emulate the feel of revving since EVs are silent and attract less attention as you zoom past others. Although EVs have a lot of tech in them, the majority of customers still prefer feel over convenience with their vehicles.

With Oman vouching to phase out fuel-operated vehicles and ensure that 79% of cars in the country by 2035 are electric, the Sultanate is in line with achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology’s annual media meeting held earlier this year (February) unveiled that Oman will have at least 22,000 new electric vehicles (EV) on roads by 2040. To cater to the growing concerns of affording an EV over a fuel-operated machine, Oman is also planning to introduce incentives that will make it more affordable to own an EV in the Sultanate as the Tax Authority of Oman will ensure that EV and its parts are exempt from value-added tax (VAT).

The world is heading away from fuel-guzzling machines to electronically enabled automotive wonders, but it all comes down to humans. We will always be behind the wheel regarding progress, and it’s up to us to decide how we want to shape the future.