Green cars still not a hit in Asia

The Global Financial Crisis resulted in a collapse of car sales in the United States and Europe. However, this trend did not affect the continuing economic growth experienced in China, India and some parts of Asia. China surpassed Western car markets in 2009 and continues to be strong.

With only 50 people out of a 1,000 owning a private vehicle in China, the market continues to grow tremen-dously in this part of the world, where the concept of owning private vehicles is relatively new. One major car company in Shanghai reported sales growth from a mere 20,000 units in 1999 to 1.83 million in 2009. What’s more unique in these transactions are that 90 percent of sales are conducted with cold hard cash.

The increasing appetite for large limos, sedans and other power vehicles by the Chinese consumer continues to make headway for both Western and local car manufacturers. But will this enthusiasm be translated to hybrid, electric and other green vehicles? Will the Asian market embrace these new means of transportation in the same manner that their Western counterparts patronized what is touted as the future of the car industry?

Dark outlook for green car industry

Studies have shown that due to certain technical limitations in the current technology for electric and hybrid cars, market acceptance would not be as well-rated as standard combustion vehicles and is projected to settle in the 2 to 5 percent range. These limitations place certain inconveniences and disadvantages for end consumers that would overwhelm the fuel economy benefits they can derive.

Another blow would be the reported diminishing support for electric vehicles from major car manufacturers, most of which are skeptical that the green car industry would make a substantial impact in the market. Incidentally, these skeptical car manufacturers are the ones who topped the surveys of brands consumers would buy hybrids or EVs from.

These manufacturers believe that the inconveniences and disadvantages brought about by the limitations posted by electric cars would eventually weight much in driving consumers away from these vehicles. Unless technological breakthroughs arise to address these annoyances and inconveniences, these car manufacturers would remain doubtful whether the green car market will pick up in Asia.

Issues and disadvantages of electric, hybrid

Hybrid and electric vehicles were designed to reduce or eliminate the car’s dependency on gasoline and petroleum-based fuel. A hybrid car or hybrid electric vehicle is powered by combination of a gas engine and an electrical battery. Pure electric cars run on electricity powered by a battery pack.

The use of electricity reduces the negative impact that vehicles have on the environment, as well as addresses the imminent reality of diminishing oil reserves. However, despite these significant benefits, there are certain disadvantages that hinder the Asian masses from adopting hybrid or electrical cars as their main choice for transportation. Such disadvantages are outlined below:

Form and appearance

To increase the efficiency of hybrid and electrical cars, the vehicles are designed to be highly aerodynamic to reduce drag and resistance. This would let the vehicle glide through as smoothly as possible to get more mileage from its electrical power reserves. With greater resistance, a car that is not aerodynamically designed would realize less mileage or distance range as compared to aerodynamic cars.

The problem however, lies in the compromise in form and appearance to achieve the desired aerodynamic qualities for the vehicle. In most cases, function weighs more than form when these vehicles are designed to achieve the targeted efficiency. The result would be designs that defy standard norms in vehicle styles, even to the point that some output designs border on the absurd that will not cater to most consumers’ taste and preference.

Not Very Cost-Effective

Hybrid electric cars cost approximately $5,000 to $7,000 more than their standard combustion counterparts. This is one of the topmost disadvantages that consumers get from these green cars. Although in the long run, owners gain significant cost savings from the reduced or eliminated use of gasoline, the initial price tag would not be affordable or very appealing to consumers, particularly in the Asian region.

Aside from the cost of the car itself, owners will eventually spend more money for battery replacements and maintenance in the long run. This is primarily one of the reasons why the Asian masses continue to shun electric cars. Many are worried that batteries would expire more frequently and have to be changed regularly with constant use. This would translate to additional costs that would be very taxing and cost prohibitive for the average user.

Limitations of the battery

Current battery technologies used for hybrid and electric cars is limited in energy and power, providing a limited range for vehicles in between charging times. Consumers are apprehensive, for fear of finding themselves in the middle of nowhere without a charging station. To get longer mileage, an electric vehicle would need more battery packs – which would take more space, would weigh more heavily and would cost much more.

Aside from that, larger battery packs would take a much longer time to completely recharge. If users choose to run on a partial charge, they would not get much mileage and would still need an hour or two to get a running capacity from their battery packs. Fast chargers would require more power; however, such a practice would increase the risk of damage to the expensive battery packs. Such disadvantages make the prospect of purchasing such vehicles less appealing.

Environmental issues due to higher emissions

Hybrid electric cars were designed to minimize the use of fossil fuels known to cause toxic by-products that would harm the environment. However in China, electricity is generated by power plants that run on coal. If the masses eventually move towards the use of electric vehicles, researchers have concluded that this would result to higher emissions of CO2 and potentially result in more environmental issues.

This would present a significant problem, as the number of cars in China is projected to exceed that of the United States. Unless a viable energy source is established to power all these cars to replace coal and fossil-fuel power generation plants, the use of hybrid electric cars may not be a very environmentally viable option. Safety issues

Related to the use of battery packs to power hybrid electric cars is the safety concerns and issues that are posed with the use of these packs. Overheating and exploding battery packs are some of the known safety issues. Aside from that, the use of high voltage wiring in such vehicles also poses safety concerns, particularly during road accidents and other similar occurrences.

Recharging infrastructure

Another holdout that prevents the Asian market from switching to hybrid electric vehicles is the lack of infrastructure that will serve as charging stations for these electric cars.

Technological solutions for green car industry

The disadvantages and inconveniences that consumers will derive with the use of hybrid electric cars overshadow the benefits that can be derived with their usage – if technologies behind these green cars remain as they are now. To answer these concerns, car and parts manufacturers in Asia and the rest of the world continue to develop new technologies and innovative advances that would address all these concerns.

In line with this, prominent car manufacturers have teamed up with battery suppliers, technology developers and local car manufacturers in China to develop a highly efficient electrical vehicle that will cater to the demand of the Chinese and Asian markets. This includes a focus on battery technologies that would be significantly more superior to the current battery systems that hybrid electric vehicles use.

Currently, standard lead-acid (pbA) and NiMH or nickel metal hydride batteries are in use but such batteries are limited in range and pack as much energy as they can carry. Focus is shifting to the use of Lithium ion as mainstream replacement, however certain trends and innovations in battery technologies would require far better technologies to address these needs.

This includes the emergence of lithium nickel or lithium air batteries which is projected to provide much higher energy density than standard batteries. Such batteries are projected to have more capacity, less recharge time and longer battery life. Costs would be much less and consumers can reach farther distances at lesser time including recharging.

Such technological breakthroughs and innovations can make the use of hybrid electric cars much more appealing to consumers, particularly in an Asian context. Further research and study should be done to address the remaining issues associated with electric cars.