If you look at the electric car market the most influential person at this moment in time has to be Elon Musk the entrepreneurial leader of Tesla Motors. This is a man who has quite literally put his own personal fortune on the line, pushed the boundaries and pushed the establishment to the point where he has made himself some significant enemies. There are obviously other leading lights in the world of electric cars but should these influential individuals grab the headlines or should the actual electric cars do more of the talking?
Electric car technology
The sad fact is that electric car technology in its most basic form has been around for well over a century. Yes, the idea of electric cars is not new, it has been tried time and time again but only recently has it moved within reaching distance of the mass market. So, despite the fact that the technology and the ideas have been around for many years perhaps this has not been enough?
Leading figures
Whatever happens in the future there is no doubt that Tesla Motors and Elon Musk will go down as the most influential company and individual in the history of electric cars. There are others who are now coming to the fore, with leading lights in BMW and Mercedes-Benz all talking positively about electric cars, but where were they when the industry was neglected, ignored and in many cases ridiculed?
Headlines bring sales
In some ways it is very unfortunate that the likes of Elon Musk have had to push themselves and their company literally to breaking point to grab the headlines. Political allegiances have for many years now been anti-electric vehicles and only now are they starting to turn. One issue which brought electric cars to the forefront of the minds of motorists was the archaic system the US where automobile manufacturers literally have to sell through the dealership network. Despite the fact that Tesla promised to put aside millions of dollars to adequately service their direct customers this service has been blocked by politicians for some time now.
The headlines that this prompted made many motorists think again and look deeper into the subject of electric cars. They found that the technology has come on in leaps and bounds, the number of recharging stations is becoming less and less of a concern and prices are starting to reach that affordability level. These were elements of the electric car market which were often ignored by the mass media, masked by the oil companies and given little time by the political elite. However, the Internet has changed that, independent unbiased articles give a different slant to those holding a grudge against the industry and the truth is finally emerging.
Conclusion
It is unfortunate that the likes of Elon Musk had to put their reputation and their own fortune on the line to bring electric cars to the masses. It is unfortunate that the technology has, until lately, not been the main subject of attention grabbing headlines. Hopefully as the sector moves towards the mass market we will see more balanced reviews, less political shenanigans and cold hard facts and figures so the public can make their own mind up.
Only then will the true value of the electric car market be fully realised.
