“MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING
TIMES.” Six words, appropriate for 2019.
Said to be a Chinese curse, the phrase
actually refers to war as a disrupter. It
means that those fond of war (or “interesting
times”), were fond of change; and those
fond of change, start wars. Perhaps this is
why millennials are always causing so
much outrage – we adore change.
So far, our disruption has “ruined”
marriage, the 9-5 workday, oil, golf and cars. But when it comes to
the latter three, the automotive industry has been the one to clock
our eye-rolls and shift stance. To start, golf clubs, once the standard
boot measurement and a symbol of wealthy-dad culture, have
been replaced by suitcases in gen Y-tuned cars; and when it
comes to the liquid remnants of prehistoric animals, sustainable
tech is here, and it’s sexy. Enter: the new electronic vehicles (EVs).
Earlier this year, Jaguar dropped the world’s first luxury EV from a
major manufacturer, the handsome I-Pace. Unlike Lexus, BMW or
Porsche, Jaguar isn’t a leader in electric technology, but it rolled the
dice, following Tesla’s suit of turning the idea of the typically unsexy
EV into an object of desire. Like many early adoptions, it’s a
problematic space. Australia continues to be awkwardly behind the
rest of the world in EV uptake. In America, Tesla’s Model 3 outsoldDRI VI NG IN
A FORWARD
DIRE CTION
THE CLUNKY “GREEN”
CAR STEREOTYPE IS
OVER, WITH A NEW
BREED OF LUXURY
ELECTRONIC VEHICLE
ENTERING AS
SOPHISTICATION
REDEFINEDthe competition; the UK has banned the sale of
new petrol and diesel cars by 2032 with all new
cars to be emission-free by 2040; China has
become the world’s leader in EV production and
in Norway, 58 per cent of all new cars are electric.
Then there’s the state of our publicly available
charge. In Switzerland, you can supercharge a
performance EV in 10 minutes, while most charging
stations in Australia can take hours – like filling your
tank with a tear dropper.
Despite the Liberal government’s lack of
stance on sustainable mobility, the industry is
forcing its hand and change is afoot. Start-ups
like Chargefox and Jet Charge are installing
roadside power plugs around the country
(including European-standard superchargers)
and apps like Everty and PlugShare help you find
the closest one. In fact, the entire industry,
including car companies, energy suppliers and
start-ups, banded together to form the Electric
Vehicle Council which lobbies and advises
government officials on new EV policy.
As for the cars? Luxury EVs are arriving thick
and fast to join the mass market brands. Soon,
Audi and Porsche’s carbon neutrally-produced
flagship EVs, the stylish e-tron SUV and swift
Taycan sedan, will land. BMW has pledged
to offer an electrified variant (either hybrid
or battery-powered) of every model. For
city dwellers, MINI has entered the space with a
cool hybrid Countryman and a fully-electric
MINI is en route. Even James Bond’s go-to fuel-
guzzler, Aston Martin, is confident it can match
the emotion of a roaring V12 engine with an
electric one in the new Rapide E saloon. It aims
to tempt its highly traditional customer, while capturing the
enviro-conscious millennial who wouldn’t be caught dead
pumping petrol – at least from a brand association perspective.
Technology always trickles from the top. So even if you can't
afford a $119,000 Jag, it matters. Only a few years ago, one had
to cough up a house deposit to get the lane assist or emergency
braking tech now found in entry-level hatchbacks, so these stylish
performance EVs are the precursors to what we will all soon drive.
Even if our government sits on the fence, the pieces are in play. In
place of the thirsty and loud cars of yesterday? A new dawn
of sleek, environmentally-woke wizardry, hyper-connected
technology and a zen silence. The car isn’t dead, it’s just that the
new status symbol isn’t a bonnet trophy, but a lightning bolt. E
For more information on EVs, head to whichcar.com.auDRIVECOLLAGE BY
ROSIE SAYERSWORDS BY
NOELLE FAULKNER