Why battery electric vehicles will beat hybrids and fuel cells

At the turn of the 20^thcentury, three types of self-propelled vehicles were competing (in roughly equal numbers) for the consumer’s attention. These three were (a) steam, (b) electric and (c) internal combustion (petrol/diesel) vehicles.

It is now history that by choosing the internal combustion engine (ICE) for mass production, Henry Ford set the agenda for the next 100 plus years. But the ICE age is now ending, and this time we have four competing types of EV to choose between.

So, will one dominate (as per what happened last time) or will all four ‘live happily together ever after’?

As explained in one of our many FAQs – there are four main types of electric vehicle available. These are summarised in figure 1.

So can each take up their own niche, or do they have inherent flaws that will result in them falling by the wayside? Let’s have a look and see what evidence there is for dominance (or otherwise) for each of the four EV technologies.