Jessica Lynn
9.22.20
The advent of electric transport as Elon Musk coins in his interview, sets a tone for what's to come. As we watch the world around us rapidly change and in current cases, burn. It’s hard not to ponder what happened. The Ford debut of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) in 1910 opened the doors to a new industry. Ford and Porsche among a few others took major steps to reimagine transportation away from the horse and buggy. Fast forward 100 years and there’s a wide range of vehicles to choose. In some ways, it would seem like we came full circle when it comes to the modernization of the car. GM’s EV came out in 1915, with similar desired qualities as today's Tesla. It begs the question, what happened?
(Credit: Dassault Systemes)
There’s much scrutiny around R&D and potential innovation. It’s a high-risk game, with the need for capital ($$), access to suppliers (high quality, low price), and the right strategy to manage the uncertainties to come. Tesla is a prime example, launching its phase iii economical EV option. I remember one early morning living in San Francisco, listening to an interview with Elon Musk and the discussion continued to circulate how he was going to keep Tesla afloat. Investors were starting to worry, since production deadlines were continually missed. You could hear how tired he was, and it was obvious he was throwing everything he had into making phase iii work. I am sure he (self-invested) and others were contemplating how to hedge their investments to ensure a fallback is in place. On a personal level, I believe Elon sincerely wants a more marketable option for the greater good. Since the turbulent chapter of phase iii, Tesla has turned the tables, but at what cost?
When GM’s first EV came out in 1915, the price tag was 35K. Back in the 1900’s that was a significant amount of money, to be exact by today’s standards would be $1,082,991.67 (Inflation Rate between 1900-2020: Inflation Calculator 2020). Thomas Edison was a major supporter of the EV, putting skills to the test to develop a better battery. (Timeline: History of the Electric Car 2020). In 1901 Ferdinand Porsche built the first hybrid vehicle called the Porsche Mixte. (Timeline: History of the Electric Car 2020). As roadway infrastructure became more efficient, the new findings of “cheap Texas crude oil” (Timeline: History of the Electric Car 2020) combined with increasing vehicle options and refinements on the gas and diesel engine, the push for a marketable and cost effective EV went on the backburner.
Today, we have almost 2 million electric cars on the road “The International Energy Agency is aiming to increase the share of electric vehicles globally to 30% by 2030.” (Anwar, 2019). With increased access to information because of smartphones, social media, and advances in technology, what once was a simple ambitious design has now transformed into a competitive rivalry within the automotive industry. Batteries are going to be the next major supply barrier. Africa acts as a linchpin being one of the largest raw material sources (mining) for the lithium-ion, used in EV batteries, smartphones, and computers (Gbadegesin, 2020). It will be interesting to see how the next ten years go and what new advancements are made with EV’s and Transporation as a whole.
Resources
Anwar, N. (2019, November 07). Electric cars may be powering ahead, but it will be a long way before they go mainstream. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/04/long-way-before-electric-cars-evs-become-mainstream-transportation.html
Cat Clifford. (2018, November 06). Elon Musk: Tesla's work 'supersedes political parties, race, creed, religion'. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/elon-musk-teslas-work-is-important-to-the-future-of-the-world.html
Catherine. (2014, November 14). More Power to Electric Vehicles. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://blogs.3ds.com/perspectives/more-power-to-electric-vehicles/
Edwards, O. (2006, June 01). The Death of the EV-1. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-death-of-the-ev-1-118595941/
Gbadegesin, T. (2020, January 07). Africa must assume its place in the global battery race. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.theafricareport.com/21865/africa-must-assume-its-place-in-the-global-battery-race/
Inflation Rate between 1900-2020: Inflation Calculator. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1900?amount=35000
Timeline: History of the Electric Car. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.energy.gov/timeline/timeline-history-electric-car
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