A number of additions to the EV segment have been launched in megacities across the world, with a distinct emphasis on where they are debuted. The BMW i3, for example, was launched in New York, London and Beijing – the three megacities that the German OEM actively expressed would best suit its first pure battery EV.
Kia’s entry into the pure battery EV race is the Soul EV. Like BMW, Kia has identified London as one of its EV targets. Megatrends joined the OEM at its recent London launch event for the Soul EV, and sat down with the company’s European Head of Product Planning and its UK Chief Executive.
A familiar design
OEMs can take numerous measures to ensure their EVs are designed with city driving in mind. According to David Labrosse, Head of Product Planning at Kia Motors Europe, the incorporation of certain features like stop/start applications and regenerative braking systems can make EVs extremely suitable for driving in megacities.
Labrosse also believes that in using features and applications that are common across the EV segment, the general public receives a similar experience of the vehicles and can start to become familiar with their benefits. This common, broad approach to design is widely seen as crucial to customer education and future acceptance of EVs, particularly as it may help reduce range anxiety.
The range factor
Continuous developments in batteries and infrastructure have helped lower the range anxiety that has been a significant detrimental factor in the adoption of EVs. Many industry experts believe that by launching EVs, adapting them for use in megacities and targeting their marketing accordingly, OEMs can begin to overcome prospective buyers’ range anxiety.
“There are many people who live in the city and only travel a maximum of 10km daily. If there is a charging station at their workplace and they are able to charge at home, EVs make perfect sense,” states Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive of Kia Motors UK. “We must prove to them that our EV is suitable for their needs not just by delivering certain features that will be effective in cities, but by launching the EV in the city from the start.” However, Philpott acknowledges the need for people to be able to take unplanned, ad hoc journeys. “The great advantage of the motor car is that it gets you from A to B, but if you unexpectedly need to go to C you can do. There is a gas station on most street corners, or within a couple of miles. Right now, there is not a charging station on every street corner to allow you to do the unexpected journey, because you don’t yet feel certain about where you can charge these vehicles,” he says. “Taking the Kia Soul EV as an example, with a range of up to 132 miles and with both home and fast workplace charging available, people are changing their mind set and the way they think about their daily drive.”
At the moment, Philpott concedes that EVs are only right for a certain group of customers, particularly those with another vehicle they can turn to if required. Consequently, in Philpott’s opinion, EVs “are likely to uniquely remain a second household car for a substantial time.”
The environmental factor
Air quality levels in cities have borne the brunt of criticism from government legislators for some time. From Boris Johnson’s recent plan of attack against high levels of nitrous oxide (NOx) emitted by dirty diesels in London, to the Chinese government’s attempt to enforce the adoption of clean vehicles in Beijing, air pollution in megacities is an issue prominent across the world’s automotive industry. Adopting EVs is one of the ways the world can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, and decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) and other harmful emissions.
By launching their EVs in megacities, OEMs are showing their contribution to improving emissions levels and air quality. “We want to deliver solutions to problems across the industry. Air pollution in megacities has certainly been a factor that pushed us to develop an EV that is perfect for city driving,” says Labrosse. He also points out the fact that OEMs often form working relationships with city legislators in order to collectively reduce the pollution levels.
Working together
Back in 2012, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a case study detailing the EV deployment effort in cities around the world. It aimed to highlight a number of approaches that could help accelerate the process towards the acceptance, adoption and mass production of EVs. A key finding of the report was the need for OEMs to work alongside government bodies in promoting the use of EVs in cities, and to further improve the infrastructure on which the vehicles will rely.
Although the approaches taken are different in each city, there are some similarities and common practices that are suitable for the various cities across the world – for example, government legislators can implement zero emissions zones in megacities, in which only EVs and fuel cells are able to operate.
“We cannot do this alone,” concludes Labrosse. “If governments play their part, and we deliver the right solutions, then the future can be electric.”
