During the first decades of the 20th century, one of the most important revolutions in our history and the first revolution in mobility took place: the transition from the use of carriages to automobiles. This brought with it a series of advantages such as greater hygiene in the cities and the disuse of draft animals; changes in urban models with the adaptation of the city to the automobile; and disadvantages that would be seen in the future such as contamination. This change occurred in just 20 years and flooded the main cities with a new mobility model.

Today we are experiencing a second revolution in mobility. Terms like sharing or swapping make their way into our vocabulary; News about new charging models, new battery chemistries, new vehicle concepts or new apps appear daily on the infinite scroll of our screens. But where are we really going? The short answer is simple: we can’t know yet, but if one thing is clear, it is that we are heading towards electrification and hydrogenation.

Returning to the streets of our large cities, different forms of mobility are currently beginning to share asphalt, such as micro-mobility, conventional transport, sharing, or urban transport (whether electric or gas). This great variety of forms of transport responds to a pressing need in cities: to move more and more people who move from the periphery to the big cities (the rural exodus of the 21st century). This means that we no longer just need to move people; we also need to generate the energy necessary to move them.

For this reason, in this second mobility revolution we are facing a double challenge: the new mobility and the need for a new energy model.

The year 2022 has come to an end out of necessity because it is the year that begins a turning point in electricity generation models, as well as their commercial models. Traditional roles have been superseded by new dynamics that are adapted to the final consumer, who is much more informed and who cares more about sustainability; who are looking more than ever for necessary energy and economic savings. The user of a 100% electric vehicle will have two fundamental questions in mind: Where do I have a charging point? And how much does it cost me to load it there?

For this reason, the current mobility revolution and the incipient electric revolution are going to go hand in hand and one will not be able to advance without the other doing so by its side. So, right now I can only think of one question, how will we be in 2042?

This article was written by the engineer Ramón Castro Rodrigo. He finds the course of he Hybrid and electric vehicle by clicking here.