He believes something else is the true future of the industry…
Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman had some interesting things to say about electric cars and the future of the auto industry lately. In an interview with Drive, the automotive executive opined that electrification is “not the answer” for a zero-emissions future. Normally, such concerns are just dismissed by EV fanboys as “anti-progress” or “technophobia” but Reichman and his comments aren’t so easily dismissed.
Check out the latest Motorious Podcast here.
Instead of completely writing off EVs, Reichman views them as a bridge to something that’s actually viable. In the interview he pointed out some of the obvious limits of electrification, such as ridiculously long charge times (anything above 5 minutes counts as too long) and the rare nature of minerals used to manufacture batteries. Considering millions of cars are made every year and EVs constitute a small drop in the bucket, he has a point.
What Reichman believes to be the future is hydrogen fuel cells and biofuel, with the possibility of similar technologies emerging. Porsche has been moving in the direction of biofuels, and it’s not the only one. According to Reichman, he thinks these new propulsion technologies could result in a “Golden Age” of automotive design as they allow for greater engineering freedom. Hey, if it means future vehicles don’t all look like jellybeans on wheels, we’re all for it.
Reichman is a respected authority in the automotive industry, having been head of design for Aston Martin since 2005. He knows more about this topic than politicians, political pundits, and everyone else who have been feeding the EV hype machine for years.
Other automaker executives have expressed doubts and concerns about the viability of widespread electrification in the auto industry. Most notable among them is Toyota’s head of energy and environmental research, Robert Wimmer. About a year ago he pointed out that EVs would have tremendous problems to solve, including how to recharge so many vehicles constantly and how to manufacture so many batteries.
Check out the Reichman’s interview for yourself here.
