ROLLING BACK THE FEARS

HYBRIDS AND EVS ARE BECOMMING MORE POPULAR, BUT A RECENT RETHINK SEES ICE ENGINES, THEREFORE CLASSIC CARS, SET TO ROLL ON FOR MANY YEARS TO COME

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Think back five years, when automotive news sites couldn't wait to be first with the latest announcement that a prominent manufacturer was set to end production of petrol-engined cars.

Whether this was a carefully crafted ploy or not, it did wonders for sales and would have continued if not for the unscheduled intervention of COVID-19.

Once that blip was conquered and production normalised, new sales records continue to be set in Australia and elsewhere. Sales of Hybrids and EVs have gone from miniscule in 2017 to significant now, while taking the numbers for hydrocarbon-burning versions off the scale as well.

The problem, as seen by people who might be buying electric cars but aren't, is that no one wants to be responsible for infrastructure that underpins their existence. Recharging stations exist mainly along major highways, recycling for dead EV batteries is barely functional and even training of fire services in extinguishing EV conflagrations is lacking.

Once a strong proponent of EVs Only After 2030, Mercedes-Benz has recently announced rekindled interest in Hybrid designs, with full electric available only in places where 'market conditions allow'.