Question

A REVOLUTION has gathered pace in the transport sector. Electric cars, once the preserve of those with deep pockets, have hit the mainstream. Figures released on 26 April by the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest that almost one in five new cars sold worldwide this year will be either full battery electric or plug-in hybrid models. In total, 14 million of these kinds of vehicles are expected to be sold this year, up from about a million in 2017. This explosive growth is testament to innovation and government interventions. Falling battery costs have delivered longer-range cars, boosting their appeal to consumers. Meanwhile, government policies, including looming bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in some countries, have nudged people to embrace lower-emission driving. This transformation in the car industry will reshape world energy use. Global oil demand for road transport will peak in 2025, the IEA predicts. "The internal combustion engine has gone unrivalled for over a century, but electric vehicles are changing the status quo," said Fatih Birol at the IEA in a statement. VUK VALDC/ALAMY Although electrification of the global vehicle fleet brings climate benefits, there is also cause for concern. SUVs have been growing in popularity, accounting for 42 per cent of all car sales in 2020. Electric SUVs have also gained ground, representing roughly 35 per cent of electric passenger car sales in 2022. Christian Brand at the University of Oxford dubs this trend towards larger cars a "mobesity" epidemic. Electric More charging points have helped electric cars appeal to consumers SUVS are greener than their petrol and diesel counterparts, but their size erases some of the climate gains from moving to electric vehicles (EVS). Their larger batteries also require more raw minerals, like cobalt and lithium, putting extra pressure on stretched supplies. "The trend towards larger cars is definitely not desirable," says Brand. He suggests policies may be needed to encourage people to opt for smaller EVs, such as hiking taxes for electric SUVS. "Of course, that's unpopular with policy-makers because they would fear losing votes. But we could save hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon over time, cumulatively to 2050, if we did something like this in the UK," he says. Air pollution is another worry. In lower-income countries like India, electric scooters and tuk-tuks are replacing diesel-powered vehicles in their droves, the IEA reports, which will lead to improvements in urban air quality. But in higher-income countries, where petrol and diesel cars tend to be cleaner, the situation isn't so clear, says Frank Kelly at Imperial College London. "The benefit of moving to an electric vehicle, from an exhaust emission point of view, is actually pretty small," says Kelly. And since electric vehicles still produce pollution from tyres, brakes and road wear, air pollution won't go away. "We're still going to have a pretty big problem in our cities," says Kelly. Governments must do more to reduce car dependency, says Kelly. "Clean public transport is the solution to our air pollution problem in urban areas," he says. "And really, we should be minimising all private vehicles as much as possible, not celebrating the increased numbers."

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Answer 1

Hey there, young friend! I've got some exciting news about the world of transportation that you might find interesting. There's been a big change happening with cars lately. Do you know what electric cars are? They're vehicles that run on electricity instead of gasoline or diesel. Well, guess what? Electric cars are becoming really popular now, not just for rich people but for everyone!

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released some cool facts. They say that almost one out of every five new cars sold worldwide this year will be electric cars or hybrids. That's a huge increase from just a few years ago when only a million electric cars were sold in 2017. This growth is thanks to awesome inventions and help from governments.

One of the things that made electric cars more appealing is that the batteries they use have become cheaper, so the cars can go longer distances without needing to recharge. People love that! Also, some governments are making rules that say new cars can't run on gasoline or diesel anymore. These rules are making more people choose electric cars because they have lower emissions, which is better for the environment.

This big change in the car industry is going to have a big impact on how we use energy in the world. The IEA thinks that by 2025, the demand for oil in cars will go down a lot. That's because electric cars are becoming popular and replacing the ones with internal combustion engines, which is what cars used for over a hundred years.

But, there's something we need to be careful about too. Have you heard of SUVs? They're those big, fancy cars that a lot of people like. Well, they're getting popular, and it turns out that even electric SUVs have some problems. They're bigger and heavier, so they still cause some pollution and use more resources to make their bigger batteries.

Some smart people at the University of Oxford are worried about this trend of bigger cars. They call it a "mobesity" epidemic. They think it would be better if people chose smaller electric cars instead. They even suggest that governments should increase taxes for electric SUVs to encourage people to pick smaller electric cars.

There are also concerns about air pollution. In some countries like India, people are switching from diesel vehicles to electric scooters and tuk-tuks, which are like small taxis. This is making the air cleaner in cities. But in richer countries, where cars are already cleaner, the benefits of electric cars are not as big. Electric cars still create pollution from things like tires and brakes.

So, some experts think governments should focus more on improving public transportation, like buses and trains, to reduce the number of cars on the road. They believe that cleaner public transportation is the answer to air pollution in cities. They say we should try to use private cars less and celebrate the idea of fewer cars overall.

So, isn't it exciting to see how the world of cars is changing? Electric cars are becoming more popular, and it's making a big difference for our environment. But we still need to be careful about the size of the cars we choose and find ways to reduce pollution even more. It's a fascinating time for transportation, and you get to be part of it!