As can hardly be ignored, the cost of petrol and diesel around the world is increasing dramatically, in part due to ongoing current geopolitical affairs, but has also been doing so steadily for some time and it should be no surprise that trend is likely to continue from this point on. As the scarcity of the resource leaves us at the whims of those who control it, the necessity and interest in local and renewable generation and storage has never been stronger.

Partly thanks to this, the demand for electric vehicles has also soared recently, at least with Tesla we've seen large, sudden price increases in the US and although the UK’s been lucky to see it remain fairly stable so far, it might only be a matter of time before it's bumped up again. As society inevitably works it's way along the technology adoption cycle, we're going to see ever-more people rejecting combustion and gladly embracing electric.

The majority of western vehicle manufacturers are still fumbling to innovate or even provide any battery-powered transport, whilst at the same time refusing to invest in public charging infrastructure, however the Chinese are catching up in this regard with a full focus on electric and we can expect a wave of reassuringly high-quality, full-function and reasonably priced models from them in the foreseeable future. Until then, a Tesla with access to their superb Supercharger network has never been a better option, just be prepared for a possibly considerable (albeit entirely worth it) delivery timeline.

Sure enough we find the Tesla Model 3 to be not only the best-selling E.V. in the UK, but also the second best-selling car overall for 2021.

Not only this, but in a great step towards a zero-emission future, the UK new-vehicle market share claimed by Battery Electric Vehicles is now a healthy 17.7% in February 2022, an increase of a staggering 196% from just 6.9% the year before! 2021 also saw a massive jump of over 76% for the year’s BEV sales over 2020.

It should be noted then, with supply chain issues racking most companies worldwide as the aftershock of the pandemic still ripples, prices will inflate and delays are inevitable. Tesla are known to be constantly updating not only their design and production techniques, but also their online vehicle specification and pricing without any notice, whereas other manufacturers have been halting production altogether. So if you’re on the fence, consider ordering sooner rather than later!

The transition to renewables is undeniably underway and the more people who accept it as the way forward, the quicker our economies will react and the less we will depend on foreign-sourced, polluting fuels, in some cases literally filling treasuries to fund war efforts.

If you are, or soon will be considering purchasing a vehicle, bear in mind the minimal or almost non-existent maintenance costs, massive fuel savings that compound over time with oil prices climbing ever higher and significantly lower lifetime emissions (even with accounting for manufacturing) that come from EV ownership. The sooner you switch, the sooner you start to save for your wallet, the environment and everyone's health as well as defunding oppressive regimes that rely on their fossil fuel trade to wreak havoc.

The world is facing a call to action almost unendingly these days, there's yet another cause to be fighting for, but luckily it's within all our power to do our part right here at home. Even if you’re not yet able to switch to an EV, consider skipping a trip in the Internal Combustion Engine car whenever possible and perhaps look into a more affordable solution such as an e-bike or e-scooter which both now boast impressively large markets.