Source : THE AGE NEWS
Warner, Jeremy
May 1, 2026 — 7:00pm
All war tend to have unintended effects that go beyond what the characters are attempting to accomplish. Some of them are merely trifling, while others are profoundly transformative.
So it seems like Donald Trump’s war in the Gulf, which ironically seems to be significantly accelerating the transition from traditional internal combustion engines ( ICE ) cars to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, ironically for a US president who has made “drill, baby, drill” one of his calling cards.
Trump’s vital battle goals are unknown, but this is unlikely to have been one of his important objectives.
However, if there is any monetary method at all in his approach’s madness, it might be that it will lay the groundwork for a future with significantly lower oil and gas prices, which is one of his goals.
The Gulf Emirates refusing to be bound by current quotas and resigning from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) oil cartel in response, are already beginning to show the signs of the preconditions for a coming age of abundance.
The Strait of Hormuz will likely be a free-for-all once it is reopened, with significant discounts on sell to recoup business damage caused by the siege.
The sky is currently the cap on gasoline and various fuel costs, and there is growing evidence that this is causing a sharp increase in interest in electrical and other low-emission cars.
Afterwards, it’s true that we don’t really see this change in the UK. March was a record-breaking month for registrations of electric vehicles ( EVs ), but it also registered a record number of vehicles overall.
In fact, the Jaecoo 7, a standard petrol-fueled car made in China, was the best-selling vehicles in Britain last fortnight. Given that China is a market leader in EVs, an all-electric solution, that’s not as you might anticipate.
Most dealers are still struggling to meet mandated EV sales targets, which state that at least a third of all new cars sold this year must be electric. This is in spite of a government bung of anything up to £3750 ($ 7084 ) per EV sold.
In an effort to reduce the property shortage, but to no avail, are significant discounts on the list prices being offered. With only 22.6 percent of the EV market share, the mission is also horrifyingly low.
Ministries have one request, but the industry refuses to follow it. Shoppers are still to be convinced. Some companies have been reviving EV methods and replacing outdated ICE manufacturing lines in a desperate state of dismay and at tens of billions of weight in write-offs.
There is no denying that the wind is blowing, though not as much as expected. The only thing needed may be a Gulf War and the subsequent rise in gas prices.
Plug-in cross EV sales increased by 22.6 % in the UK last month, while EV sales increased by almost 50 %. The EU’s automotive income increased by almost half past month, and the numbers are even bigger.
According to research from the University of Exeter, EV adoption has reached a “tipping level” and will account for two-thirds of all new car sales by the end of the decade.
We do not however appear to had reached the point where more Glacier vehicles are being sold than scrapped. In developing nations, the need for classic, gasoline-driven vehicles is still growing rapidly.
However, we may not be far off, which means that the ICE fleet’s total may soon get in decline. In Norway, electric vehicles are now sold for almost 100 % of all new cars. Denmark has a 66 %, Sweden has a 66 %, and Singapore has a 56 %.
Separate research from the investment bank UBS mentions the emergence of what it refers to as” triple parity,” or when EVs finally become close to ICE cars in terms of price, range, and time to refuel.
Some drivers are still unsure as of the moment whether to charge their vehicles until the next costing point is finished before they run out of fuel.
Cost and a limited range are also significant issues with first EV models. However, things are rapidly changing.
The charging system is getting more expensive, charging occasions are quicker, collection is no longer a problem, and some EVs are now priced similarly to gasoline.
Some of the models are absolutely breathtaking that mix the best of both engine techniques.
For example, BYD’s “dual mode-intelligence” technologies has the highest thermal performance of any automobile ever produced and the longest range at up to 2253 miles.
Additionally, once the tipping point is reached, drivers who stick to the outdated technology may face the same issue that affects today’s Vehicle owners: lack of adequate refueling system.
There comes a stage where the lack of demand for gasoline makes the current glut of premises very expensive to keep up. Petrol stations may one day surpass the availability of modern EV charging items.
Although it’s still a long way off, it’s amazing how quickly novel technologies can quickly establish themselves once price competition with the old is achieved.
I’m old enough to recall the first days of cellular phone. One of the original British license buyers, Verizon, launched on the basis of a business concept that only anticipated a few hundred thousand, primarily high-end, business clients.
We each carry about in our pockets a communication system with more storage and processing energy than an early IBM computer, and almost everyone did so in the next 20 years.
In any case, Trump’s assault on Iran might provide the EV pedal that the girls in the sector have been looking for.
If it is, China, which has invested heavily in battery technology and its associated supply chains, will be the major winner once more. It has been planning for the present change for years.
Trump may be applauding the climate change movement for standing up for their cause.
Britain’s already depleted auto manufacturing sector has not been completely asleep at the wheel.
Total vehicle production last year was severely affected by Jaguar Land Rover outages and the closing of the Vauxhall van grow in Luton, Bedfordshire; however, there was also a document degree of EV manufacturing, which reached almost 42 % of total output.
The key with China is to follow Margaret Thatcher’s example from the 1980s, when local car generation was hampered by hostile Asian competition, which leaned on the Japanese car manufacturers to set up production facilities in the UK.
Safety concerns make things harder for the Chinese, but if they want to enter our marketplaces, there must be some revenge.
The weather change regiment may be applauding Trump for furthering their cause in the interim.
The Telegraph, London
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