Jan. 11 kicked off the week on a good start as the average price for regular gasoline went down to $1.965 per gallon, the lowest recorded since March 2009, according to AAA. There is also the possibility that the price could even dip to as low as $1 per gallon if the oil-producing countries continue to keep their machineries pumping and both domestic and international conditions allow the prices to keep on going down.
Does this mean that gasoline-powered vehicles are a threat once more to high tech vehicles being designed and manufactured to avoid the rising fuel prices? There is a possibility that electric and other non-gas powered vehicles may experience a little interruption in sales, but we think the interference will be short-lived.
Possible Gas Price Effect On Electric Cars
High tech vehicles, such as electric and hybrid cars that do not rely on petrol, have become fairly popular since the price of fuel skyrocketed and people began to consider them as a way to lessen the impact of fuel prices on their finances. However, now that the price of fuel seems to be on a downward trend, people are likely to use gas-guzzlers once again, especially since there are more fuel refilling stations than charging stations for electric vehicles.
This is where Nissan and BMW's partnership – which involves rolling out 120 fast charging stations in 19 states in the country – comes at a fortunate time. The fast charging stations, though still limited, give the electric vehicles a fighting chance, at least in the areas where Nissan and BMW would build them. As for the rest of the United States, we may just see a slight dip in electric vehicle sales.
In The Long Run, It Won't Matter Much
Why wouldn't the lowering of gas prices affect the electric vehicle market much? The answer comes from the long conference held in early December 2015: The United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP21. The objective of the summit, which was attended by world leaders, was to come up with an international agreement to combat the effects of climate change and slow down, if not completely stop, the temperature of Earth from rising up to and exceeding the predicted 2 degrees Celsius.
Mobility by using electric vehicles certainly took center stage during the COP21 summit, and it wasn't just the companies pushing for its use. To be sure, electric vehicles do follow the standards set by the UNFCCC, especially with regard to zero-emissions. The main problem manufacturers and owners would have to deal with is the availability of charging stations, but that was also discussed during the COP21. Even manufacturers were challenged to develop electric vehicles that will be accessible and financially possible for people in developing countries to own.
"Segolene Royal also announced a global competition for an EV under 7,000 Euros, with a range of 300 miles and a charging time of under 30 minutes," said Marissa Galizia of ChargePoint, Inc.
This means a change from the current gas guzzlers most people drive to emission-free vehicles. This also means that, in the next few years, we'll be seeing a lot more electric vehicles on the roads not just because people chose it as their mode of transportation but because their own governments are slowly making the change.
What Does It Mean For All Of Us
Basically, it means that we may choose to indulge in our fuel-filled vehicles for now and celebrate the decrease in gas prices. The electronic vehicle market may experience a decrease in sales for a little while, but they'll be back in business soon enough because that's where we're going anyway, thanks to COP21. Then again, if it will help combat climate change and if manufacturers are able to provide what's needed to keep us going, that's not an issue at all.
