Electric vehicles (EVs) are quickly taking over the world, and people who drive petrol cars need to be ready for the changes that will happen. Around the world, governments are setting dates to phase out standard gas-powered cars. For example, the UK wants to ban all new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and Canada has promised to sell only electric cars by 2035. These dates may seem far away, but experts say people who drive petrol cars need to start making changes right away.
Getting used to automatic gears is one of the most important changes gas car drivers will have to make. Electric vehicles (EVs) don’t have gears like regular cars do. This makes driving them smoother and easier. But people who are used to driving with stick shifts might find this change strange at first. Stuart Masson, an expert on cars, calls this change “car industry 2.0.” Instead of the rough feel of manual gears, electric motors will make a steady hum.
Petrol stations will close down, which is another change that can’t be avoided. As more people buy electric vehicles, petrol stations will slowly close down. This means that people who drive gas-powered cars will have to plan their trips more carefully. This is like the early days of electric vehicles, when drivers used maps to find charging sites. In Canada, automakers have to meet increasing EV sales goals. Gas-powered cars will still be able to be driven for years to come, but it will be harder to find a petrol store close.
Another common worry is range anxiety, which means being afraid of running out of power before you get to a charge point. But Stuart Masson says that this fear is often made worse than it really is. Modern electric vehicles can go up to 250 miles on a single charge, and most users only need to go nine miles every day, so range anxiety shouldn’t be a big problem. In a strange way, petrol car drivers may finally experience their own form of range anxiety as petrol stops become less frequent.
To make the change easier, both states and private businesses are putting a lot of money into building up charging stations for electric vehicles. There are already more than 25,500 charging ports in use in Canada, and that number will rise to 33,500 by 2026. To get more people to buy EVs, financial benefits like refunds and grants are also being offered.
People who aren’t ready to give up their gas-powered cars don’t need to worry right away. But the auto business as a whole is going towards electric cars, and users will have to change too. Getting ready for this change doesn’t just mean getting an electric car; it also means changing the way you think, learning about new tools, and being aware of how infrastructure is changing.
Many good things happen when people switch to electric cars, like cleaner air, quieter places, and a big drop in carbon emissions. Even though driving may change over time, the act of getting behind the wheel and driving on the open road will always be the same. The change may seem scary, but drivers will find that the future of transport is not only better, but also easier, more efficient, and, in the end, more satisfying if they get ready, learn, and keep an open mind.
