Tech

The government just predicted when electric cars will become popular

Giuseppe Macri Tech Editor
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The Energy Information Administration (EIA) just released its 2014 Annual Energy Outlook, which predicts electric vehicles will only just start to become mainstream in 2040.

EIA’s report states that the majority of cars on the road in 2040 will still use gasoline, and that 78 percent of cars sold that year will still use gas-powered motors. Five percent will be standard hybrids, 1 percent plug-in hybrids, and only 1 percent entirely electric.

Forty-eight percent of gasoline-powered cars sold in 2040 will utilize stop and start micro hybrid technology, which shuts down the internal combustion engine when idling to save gas, and regenerative braking, which converts the stop-force inertia from braking into stored electric energy.

According to EIA, the average miles-per-gallon will be 37.2 by 2040, up from last year’s 21.5. Domestic oil production is expected to rise in the next five years and contribute to manufacturer’s focus on improving gasoline engines as opposed to reconfiguring entire production lines for going full-on electric.

The report seems to suggest that manufacturers will be steering market popularity based on what they produce, and does not point to an unwillingness on the side of consumers to adopt electric vehicles as the norm in the next 27 years.

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