Shifting gears: Three EV trends to watch in 2025

Authored by Gunjan Malhotra, Co-Founder, Komaki Electric

Marching towards the goal of fostering sustainable mobility, electric vehicles (EVs) have come a long way over the years. Where previously it was a niche segment in the automobile industry, with the surging demand for EVs projected in recent years, it is very likely to outpace the traditional ICE vehicles. If the report by the Economic Times is to be believed, then the EV sector comes with a promising prospect in 2025. With 18 new EV launches scheduled for the year, surpassing the petrol and diesel models, it is estimated to drive approximately half the increase in sales of the auto sector.

The rise of EVs can be considered an inevitable outcome of the transition to net-zero transportation aimed at addressing the pressing issue of global warming and climate change. As a result, the demand for the vehicle is unlikely to abate anytime soon, given that even the government is making significant strides in the form of incentives, subsidies, etc., to accelerate the adoption of EVs.

Delving into the thriving EV market, the article explores the trends that will be shaping the sector in 2025.

1) Innovative battery technology:

With batteries at the heart of the EV revolution, significant steps towards pioneering battery technology are expected to be a dominating trend throughout the year. With batteries contributing to the performance of the vehicles, there will be an incessant focus on the upgradation of the batteries to support the long range of the vehicle while shrinking the charging time substantially. Along similar lines, remarkable progress has been made in solid-state Li-ion batteries, which have emerged as a game changer for facilitating higher energy densities, faster charging times, and greater safety of EVs. This can go a long way in alleviating the fear of range anxiety among the owners and help instill faith in EVs as a reliable mode of transportation.

2) Expediting the expansion of EV charging infrastructure

There is a huge gap between the growth of EVs and the pace at which charging infrastructure has been expanding. The lack of accessibility to charging stations has been acting as a major deterrent, discouraging the purchase of EVs among potential buyers. To address the issue, creating a robust, fast-charging network will be one of the major trends in 2025. Moreover, with the government aspiring to achieve the ambitious goal of reaching 3.9 million EV charging stations by 2030, amplification in the installation of ultra-fast charging stations will be witnessed during the year. The entire endeavour will be aimed at reducing the charging duration to merely a fraction of the time taken at present. Additionally, to promote eco-friendly practices, renewable energy sources will be employed to power the stations, which will be well coupled with the integration of smart technologies. Such technologies will bode well for driving efficient management of power distribution while overseeing a reduction in grid dependency.

3) Integration of AI and autonomous driving technologies

With the new era of highly competitive EVs unfolding, technologically advanced vehicles will be dominating the market. Giving the desired impetus to semi-autonomous and completely self-driven electric vehicles, AI and ML technologies will be preferred to drive the EVs. The advanced technologies can come to the rescue to enhance the driving experience while providing foolproof safety to the occupants of the vehicle. Contributing to the efficiency of the EVs, they also play an instrumental role in offering personalized driving experiences to customers. They are revolutionizing EVs in ways unimaginable before, where they enable predictive maintenance and power real-time traffic adaptations with AI systems.

Therefore, driven by constant advancements in technology, infrastructure, and government support, the future of electric vehicles (EVs) is on the fast lane of development. Steering the paradigm shift to clean mobility, the aforementioned trends come with a lot of potential to scale the performance of the vehicles.