• While fashionable, electric vehicles are susceptible to the adversities of weather
• The lack of enough charging stations in the country should already be a red flag
Image: COURTESY
A picture doing rounds on the Internet a few weeks ago showed a group of electric vehicles gathering dust in an unknown location in Nairobi. The predominant theory was that their batteries had died, hence rendering these automobiles as dead as a dodo.
Curiosity got the better of me and off I went on an expedition to understand the disadvantages of owning one of these cars. With environmental degradation reaching alarming levels worldwide, EVs have been christened as the 'messiah' in the car industry to save the world from the brink of disaster.
They are everything that fossil fuel-powered cars are not: reduced carbon emissions, cheaper service, improved air quality and easier operation, among others.
However, the picture of EVs abandoned in a parking lot is a real jolt that not all is rosy with these vehicles.
Before purchasing this type of car, it is important to understand their disadvantages so as to make a wise and informed decision on whether to fork out your money or not.
The lack of enough charging stations in the country should already be a red flag for anyone who wants to invest in EVs.
Granted, many companies are producing electric cars and buses. However, the uptake of these automobiles is not matched by the installation of electric charging ports in Kenya, let alone in Nairobi.
So what happens when your battery charge runs out? Undoubtedly, it will be a huge inconvenience having to crack your brain, figuring out what to do next.
As with electric devices, EVs are also susceptible to weather adversities. Driving on a cold or rainy day and putting on the heater only leads to consumption of more energy and quicker drainage of battery power.
Despite the improvement of road infrastructure and network in the country, it would be preposterous to claim we are on par with the First World countries, where the use of EVs is the norm and not the exception.
What happens in the event of a huge downpour and you have to drive your electric car over puddles of water, where any contact may lead to the car stalling?
Additionally, if we are to use EVs as one of the weapons to fight climate change, then their prices will have to be made as affordable as possible for the average car owner.
Sadly, this is something that may take a while to materialise in light of the costs involved in the manufacture of lithium batteries — the main ingredient in EVs.
It beats the whole purpose of environmental conservation for a 'chosen few' to own electric cars, whereas the majority still stink up the air with harmful greenhouse gases from their exhausts.
Despite these downsides, I still believe EVs are the future of the automobile industry. It will take some time, however, before the percentage of motorists driving them outweighs the petroleum-powered cars.