From the editor: An electric era.

IF YOU read my editorial in last year’s August issue, you’ll know that I’m still far from convinced about the notion of autonomous vehicles. I just feel there are too many variables that haven’t yet been taken into account for it to be a viable technology in all motoring ecosystems around the world. I’m certain we’ll get there, eventually, but there’s a lot of work to do before we’re all cruising around reading the news on our phones or chatting with our co-passengers, hands off steering wheels and eyes not on the road ahead.

What does interest me a lot though, is electric-powered vehicles. Seems to me that breakthroughs in this sector represent a massive leap in the right direction.

So, for now, let’s keep focusing on electrification, and better battery technology. Autonomy can come later.

Ford is the most recent major brand to enter the electric-vehicle arena, and I was fortunate enough to attend the global reveal of the Mustang Mach-E in Los Angeles late last year (read more about it on page 26). No matter your opinion on whether this new EV marque should or shouldn’t have been called a Mustang, it’s undeniable that this is a beautifully designed piece of machinery, and huge doses of innovative thought have gone into this sleek SUV, from the engineers right through to the designers.

But it doesn’t escape me that, especially at my age, making the switchover and accepting electric cars as the norm will take a significant mind shift. In fact, many people just cannot fathom driving around without the comforting rumble of a combustible-fuel-powered engine under the bonnet. To remind me of this truth, while in LA, I was afforded the opportunity to drive the most powerful Mustang Ford has ever produced – the Mustang Shelby GT500 (see the pic below), which produces a mind-numbing 760 horsepower (or 566 kW) at 7 300 rpm via its 5.2-litre supercharged V8. I admit, it’s not an environmentally friendly way of getting around, but wow was it fun to drive! Its soundtrack alone is enough to bring grown men to tears (of joy).

But no matter the levels of satisfaction and enjoyment I experienced behind the wheel of the burly V8, electric is certainly the future, as long as the plants in which the cars are made also have sustainable principles as a priority, and the electricity stored in the on-board batteries is obtained from environmentally friendly sources. Motoring as we’ve known it for more than 100 years is at the threshold of a new era, and as someone who loves driving, I’m excited to see where we’re headed.