A new report from the United States maintains that the automotive industry will reach a turning point during 2010 as it begins a gradual transition away from the internal combustion engine and towards electrification.
An analysis by Pike Research, a cleantech market intelligence firm, said this evolution would require the on-going development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, ranging from residential equipment to public, private, and workplace charging stations. The firm forecasts that some 4.7 million such charge points will be installed worldwide during the period from 2010 to 2015.
“The success of hybrid vehicles in the 2000s gave drivers a taste for propulsion by electric power,” said John Gartner, senior analyst for Boulder-based Pike Research, “and governments around the world are now highly focused on creating the charging infrastructure to support the arrival of EVs in significant numbers.”
He expects by 2015 more than 3.1 million EVs—including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles—will be sold worldwide.
Nissan Leaf orders reach 19,000 units
Pre-orders for Nissan’s Leaf electric vehicle in the US and Japan have already passed the 19,000 mark, according to company chief executive Carlos Ghosn. It is due here in Ireland by next February.
