SINGAPORE — Does 2010 mark the start of a new era in road transport as electricity increasingly takes over from petrol and diesel engines as the source of power for vehicles?
Some signs point this way in the United States, Europe and Asia, where demand for cars is growing fastest. Japan's second-biggest car maker, Nissan, said recently it would launch a major marketing campaign for its new electric cars in the U.S. this year, to be followed by similar drives in Japan and Europe.
Asia is probably the key to the future of a land transport revolution. If small, affordable electric cars catch on in Asia, their success is likely to be assured and production costs across the whole range of electric vehicles will fall as output rises and technology advances.