Former Volvo CEO Says Successful EV 15 Years Away

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CEO Stefan Jacoby believes that it will be at least 15 years before pure electric vehicles will be sophisticated enough to be successful mainstream cars. 

“I have made myself unpopular before by saying this, but I do not believe they have a mainstream application in the foreseeable future,” said Jacoby.

He sites EVs' high price, short range and battery lifespan, especially in cold climates. 

“Think how you feel when your mobile phone runs out of charge and there’s nothing you can do – the feeling of sitting in a car that has run out of charge would be much worse," he said.

He admits that there are situations to which EVs are well suited like as city cars.

"Some niche applications will take off, such as with short distance taxis, but overall I do not believe electric vehicles will have a role in the next 10-15 years," he said. 

He predicts that hybrids will play a larger role though. They allow for lower emissions, higher fuel economy, relatively affordable and convenient to use. 

Jacoby's predictions certainly seem to be true in the automotive market. EVs have been a failure in Europe and not much better in North America. However, hybrids continue to gain popularity. 

Source: Autocar