A decade ago, no one could have imagined that electric cars would one day become popular. Car lovers and especially race drivers would say things like: “I want to hear the engine roaring. An electric car is too silent for me”. Cars used to be strongly associated with men who behave like a boss in life, and a roaring engine would enhance this feeling.
From a medical or a psychological point of view this was explained by the fact that car lovers are people who want to impose their personality to others around them. In more technical terms, these people have the need for more serotonin to be circulating in their blood, and loud roaring cars would bring this type of balance to their needs.
We are now in 2024, and we are all experiencing the beginning of a new era, the era of electric vehicles. The surprising fact is that electric cars are also attracting the interest of people who in the past would say that if the engine is not loud, no way. One such example is the Cybertruck by Tesla.
Elon Musk wanted to enter the market of people who used to buy the Ford F-150, the most popular car in the United States for those who want to project their power as drivers on the roads. This observation is helping us understand that our society is currently in a big transition in their preferences. Let’s see how this mindset has changed over the years and where do we head.
The Advantages of Electric Cars over Regular Cars
Img source: thesun.co.uk
The best way to explain this phenomenon would be to make a comparison of electric versus regular cars and find out what is their point of attraction. We will not refer to the benefits to the environment, we will mostly focus on the psychological impact on consumers.
Electric cars:
- Have the technology to accelerate faster.
- Have the technology to run faster.
- New electric cars have great design.
- Their positioning on the market associates them with expensive cars.
- They all imitate Tesla, and Elon Musk is a cool guy.
Many people may not have realized that the last point plays an important role in people’s psychology. Elon Musk is sending rockets to space, and yet he is the entrepreneur who produces electric cars. Elon Musk is considered a cool guy, and this demolishes the myth that electric cars are not for cool people.
The Shift in Car Industry Production
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Over the past decades, big car manufacturers took over the market of car production. It was extremely hard for new car manufacturers to position themselves on the market. For example, how many people in the Western world know the manufacturer Ssang Yong? It was extremely hard for Ssang Yong to make it from China to the European market. Why did this happen? It happened because car manufacturers already had a strong positioning in people’s minds, and this was hard to change.
Tesla is now introducing a new era. Tesla became known because Elon Musk has made big efforts to attract the attention of buyers. We will all agree that Elon Musk has succeeded, the demand for Tesla cars is growing.
What is the New Opportunity in the Electric Car Industry?
Tesla has created new opportunities in the electric car industry. New car manufacturers have started building new factories. In an industry where no new competitor could make it, we now see that an opportunity has been created. These are some new car manufacturers that many people may not know of.
Byton Cars
Img source: insider.com
Who has heard about Byton cars? This is one of the new big competitors of Tesla. Byton cars are produced in China, and the government has subsidized the production of cars. Byton cars have a very advanced design and are now negotiating contracts to import them in Europe and in the United States.
NIO Cars
Img source: electrive.com
NIO cars is another Chinese car manufacturer and it’s producing electric autonomous vehicles. This is another term for self-driving cars. They have lots of sensors around and a lot of technology that is helping them drive without a driver.
TOGG Cars
Img source: engadget.com
These cars are made in Turkey. Yes, Turney is becoming a car manufacturer. With three models that were presented in 2024, the SUV is expected to be available on the market in 2024. The Government of Turkey is subsidizing the production of these cars. This method is helping the car manufacturer survive the competition, grow, and then expand in world sales.
Old Manufacturers Producing Electric Cars
The old and well-known car manufacturers have clearly understood that electric cars is a new competition, and they have also started producing electric models. For example, the Honda E city car, or the BMQ i3. So, in these transitional times, we are seeing new car manufacturers but also the old ones who try to keep their share on the market by producing new models that are electric.
Will Electric Cars Ever Become Appealing to Race Drivers?
The big question remains there. Some people might still say that electric cars are for those ones who do now know about cars, how else can a silent engine be so attractive? It turns out that this is not true. We spoke with George from https://rde.gr who is in the race car business in a long time. George told us that those very traditional race drivers who only drive cars with loud engines are now those who only take place in Dragster events.
For Dragster events people build their own hand-made car and there you can see many different types of designs. It’s not about the car make, it’s about the passion for loudness. Even though electric cars accelerate faster, George believes that electric cars will never be allowed in Dragster events.
Surprisingly, this is not the case for other types of events, such as Track Days. There are also races just for electric cars. Everyone in the beginning thought that Japanese or German manufacturers have the stronger engines, but it turns out that electric engines are very reliable.
The old is leaving, and the new is coming. Embrace this change. Electric cars is the future normal for cars.