Electric car industry sparks into life

Two of the world’s biggest automakers have made moves which would suggest electric cars will become mass-market vehicles much sooner than perhaps some may have expected. 

General Motors has decided to bring forward its production of the all-electric Chevy Volt, according to a report in Manufacturers’ Monthly, which quotes a report on Associated Press.

The vehicles will go on sale towards the end of this year for around $30,000. 

Meanwhile, Toyota, which is said to be the largest automaker in the world, has decided it will produce a long-range electric vehicle which would available to the public in 2020.

This is according to a story on WHBL.com, which uses a report on Reuters as its source.

Toyota has neither confirmed nor denied the report, but WHBL points out that Toyota has pledged to make all of its vehicles essentially emissions-free by 2050.

The race towards an all-electric future has been given added impetus by the German government’s decision to effectively ban the petrol engine by 2030.

Moreover, one of the hurdles to mass adoption to electric vehicles – the lack of availability of public charging points – may be removed.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Duke Energy – a US utility company – has reached an agreement with Workhorse Group to sell its electric pickup trucks.

Workhorse is one of the companies the US Postal Service is using to update its distribution services.