The good news is that we are reading about the use in Europe of futuristic, self-drive (autonomous) cars and the prediction that if, in the future, this is successful in Malta, it will gradually make car ownership less admired. If this happens, there will be a fall in car ownership, resulting in less congestion in our towns and villages.
Imagine a future scenario when 'robotaxis' become mainstream, resulting in a paradigm shift in the concept of daily commuting. Driverless cars are the future and it is no secret that firms such as Tesla in Silicon Valley are investing heavily in such technology. Still, there is no denying that conventional car manufacturers such as Mercedes, GM, Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai, BMW and Toyota are keen to join the gravy train. All of them are aggressively investing in auto tech, which they hope will enable them to be among the first to produce autonomous cars.
By 2025, one anticipates that Europe will witness a number of fully tried and tested autonomous vehicles. The question is - are our town-planners ready to embrace the challenge of fewer cars on the roads and, as a consequence, will they plan a different design for new flyovers and super highways.
There is a changing landscape with regard to modern transportation and new ideas on how to introduce efficient mass transit solutions. These present important opportunities for Malta to re-tool our approach on how to grow the economy without a cost to the environment.
Recognising such opportunities, we read how, on a global scale, the automotive industry is investing billions in developing, manufacturing and bringing to market engines that are cleaner and more fuel-efficient. Why is the sudden concern in Malta to start reducing emissions and improving commuter problems? It is the result of a rapid growth in the number of private cars which is partly due to enhanced affluence, cheap bank loans and the unpopularity of public transport.
Nearly 380,000 ageing vehicles - almost one for each resident and a good number being imported second-hand - clog our narrow streets and, during rush hours, making commuting a daily nightmare. The government is daringly allocating €700 million to upgrade the road network and this is not a palliative but a daring solid decision to upgrade the infrastructure.
Admittedly, finding the perfect solution for tackling our traffic congestion is not easy. Needless to say, car emissions are exacerbated by an increase in tourist arrivals (now expected to exceed three million) which, unless contained, will inevitably go towards creating a bio-network of carcinogenesis cloud.
Noble efforts have been made to exempt electric cars from registration tax and, so far, the island has a number (albeit limited) of charging bays. At the moment, electric vehicles (EVs) are more expensive than conventional ones but they come with a variety of savings such as lower operating and maintenance costs - an advantage that their fuel-powered counterparts do not have. On top of this, Transport Malta offers cash refunds when buying a new EV while other countries have incentives and tax credits, particularly for fleet companies.
It is slowly becoming accepted in Malta that EVs are obviously a practical choice, since they provide ample torque so that when there is a change in the colour of traffic lights, you will be able to speed ahead in a sneaky way and nobody notices because the engine is so quiet.
Technological advances in electric mobility enable car-makers to offer an ever-expanding range of vehicles, which means that buyers are spoilt for choice. Some commuters are perfectly happy with a plug-in hybrid, while others want a fully electric car. As said earlier, public concern about air quality and greenhouse-gas emissions are growing in Europe and this, coupled with increasingly stringent EU emissions regulations and changing trends in car ownership, has added increasing impetus to the automotive industry's commitment to produce ultra-low emission vehicles. This has led to a range of different solutions, including hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles, and the introduction of zero-emission tailpipe vehicles such as battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
Many ask about hydrogen and fuel cell cars: are they safe and cheaper to use than electric models? The answer is that both electric and hydrogen technologies come with their advantages and challenges. To start with, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It is itself renewable, and can also be produced using renewables such as wind and solar energy. Hydrogen has been used safely and successfully in industrial processes for a number of years because it is a clean fuel with no harmful tail-pipe emissions. Hydrogen vehicles are basically electric cars with a fuel tank. They boast the performance and instant torque of battery electric cars, while providing a greater driving range than any pure EV on the market.
Put simply, for the less technically-minded, a fuel cell stack consists of a large number of individual cells, in each of which a chemical reaction takes place between hydrogen molecules (H²) and the oxygen (O²) present in the ambient air. This reaction produces both water (H²O) and an electric current. A number of electrons so generated move from the negative to the positive electrode, thus generating electricity to drive the motors.
In conclusion, as more attention is being given to limiting global warming, the potential for hydrogen to enable the necessary energy transformation has taken a pivotal role.
As a fuel, hydrogen has distinct benefits compared to electric models, including fast refuelling and high energy density. Most businesses that value fast refuelling and the mandate to cover large distances prefer hydrogen to electric charge as a transport fuel. Another practical advantage is that the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure can also be readily scaled up without the need to invest in expensive electricity grid upgrades. The technology of the future is with us, as fuel cell vehicles are particularly suited for applications with longer-range journeys (in-between refuelling), are ideal for buses and or trucks with heavier payloads and for protecting our skies with a cleaner environment.
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The writer is a partner in PKF, an audit and business advisory firm.