For many years, the electric car industry was viewed as a fringe sector, with some believing that cars running entirely on electricity would always remain on the margins. But electric cars are becoming mainstream much faster than anticipated. In September 2019, 7.5% of all cars sold in Europe were electric, which is double the number for the previous September.  The number in the US is lower, but it is projected that 10% of all new cars sold in China will be electric by 2020.

In the September episode of Physics World Stories, Andrew Glester investigates the latest technologies in electric cars and some of the developments expected in the near future. He also looks at some of the economic factors that are making electric cars a more viable choice for consumers. Entangled in the technology and economics are a number of environmental issues, including the need to find a sustainable source of metals and minerals for the batteries.

On his journey through the land of electric cars, Glester meets a variety of people. Most of the interviews took place at the recent Full Charged Live event at Silverstone – home of the British Grand Prix and other high profile motor races.

Actor and tech aficionado Robert Llewellyn speaks about his experiences as an early adopter of electric cars and the vast improvements in the UK’s network of charging points.

Simon Moores of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence talks about the challenges in the life cycle of electric car batteries.

Chris Day, technical director of Jaltek Systems, discusses the interface between electricity grids and electric cars, including the idea that vehicles can store electricity that can later be transferred back to the grid.

Taking a different turn, Mihai Caleap from the University of Bristol, introduces the field of meta sonics. He explains how metamaterials can be used to filter external noises to make driving a car a more pleasant experience.

Finally, Clare Jones introduces an innovative new addressing system, developed by her company what3words. By giving every location an earth a unique string of 3 words, it will help drivers (and automated cars) to precisely locate places, including charging points that can be tricky to find.

Driving in the present, is a follow on to the August 2018 episode of Physics World Stories, entitled ‘Driving in the future’. That episode took a more general look at the need for more environmentally conscious transport decisions.

Glester will be back with another episode of Physics World Stories next month. In the meantime you can listen to our more regular podcast Physics World Weekly. You can subscribe to both programmes on Apple podcasts or your chosen podcast provider.