To Clear the Air

During the thick of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, when regular vehicle sales were in a sad state, people still showed an interest in buying Electric Vehicles (EVs), and a big part of the reason has to do with environmental awareness. Since then, the market has ballooned and continues to grow by the day. Carmakers will invest $330 billion in electrifying their products between 2021 and 2025, according to Alixpartners. Volkswagen has stated their plan to put an end to sales of all combustion engine cars in Europe by 2035. Renault and BMW have both put a lot of money into developing vehicles with both electric motors and combustion engines, and global player Toyota intends to build 30 battery-electric cars by 2030, at a cost of $35 billion.

In terms of legislation, the EU is warming more and more to EVs. In July 2021, they got the wheels in motion for a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035, aiming also to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 55% by 2030. “This is the sort of ambition we’ve been waiting to see from EU, where it’s been lacking in recent years”, said Helen Clarkson of Climate Group. To make Europe more EV-friendly, Brussels wants laws to come into place requiring public recharging points to be installed less than 60 km apart on major thoroughfares by 2025. Last year had seen a lot of interesting EV models emerge onto the roads, and 2022 promises to bring even more. What could this mean for those involved in share trading of the major players in the EV space? Let’s take a look at the newest, most exciting EVs on the market from both well-known and up-and-coming brands.

Nikola and Rivian

In 2021, you could already buy Nikola’s TRE BEV, which is a heavy-duty truck that runs without diesel. It carries a 753-kWh battery pack and has a 350-mile range. It’s also surprisingly manoeuvrable and comfortable inside. In 2023, you’ll be able to buy their TRE FCEV, which will be unique in deriving its power through a store of hydrogen onboard the vehicle as well as oxygen in the air, which are used to create an electric current to power the motor. It also carries a rechargeable battery and can achieve a range of 500 miles.

Tesla, Ford, Nissan

Another option for an electric truck would be Rivian’s R1T, which will cost you $67,500. This is a tough outdoor vehicle that can wade in up to three feet of water. It holds 62 cubic feet of storage space and seats five. It doesn’t lack technological innovation either, offering hands-free driving options and automatic speed adjustment. The Rivian R1S “Was designed to take families, friends, dogs and all your gear on long road trips to the places you love”, says CEO RJ Scaringe. Seven passengers can fit inside, and it ranges up to 316 miles. A much bigger vehicle is the Rivian Commercial Van, with its all-wheel-drive for snow-covered roads. This cutting-edge truck carries a smart battery management system and huge cargo capacity of up to 5,300 pounds.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, industry leader Tesla produced 305,840 totally electric vehicles. In the entire year, their vehicle deliveries were up 87% over 2020, at 936,172. This kind of growth happened despite supply challenges and shortages of microchips. Tesla made some changes, too. They got rid of the radar sensors that had been on their Model 3 and Model Y cars in North America and replaced them with a camera system. This year, they’re not planning to take a rest, intending to set up a new factory in Brandenburg, Germany and get started on manufacturing their Model Y Crossover. As to their futuristic-looking Cybertruck, this long-awaited arrival may be pushed to 2023.

In general, the EVs available from 2021 were much superior to the first EVs on the market, both in terms of performance and technology. Ford’s F-150 Lightning has been so popular with consumers that the company had to stop taking reservations for it, putting a cap at 200,000 orders. One popular small EV is the Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop, available at an affordable $29,900. The 2022 Nissan Leaf offers sporty handling and a roomy interior. It’s also reasonably priced at $27,400.

Motoring Into the New Year

For anyone engaged in share trading as CFDs, the implications of the burgeoning EV market are exciting, presenting both opportunities and risks as the share prices of these companies may be affected by their launches and headline-making. CFD traders trade on market volatility, which means they are able to take advantage of share price movements in both directions of big EV companies like Tesla, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, and more, without the need to purchase the asset itself. Also be sure to watch out for the growth of new EV companies like Rivian and Nikola in the months to come to gain a better understanding of the global EV market.