Today, we'll start with a simple test.

What kind of consumer are you?

I buy a new product as soon as it comes out, I don't like to buy it a little later than others, I buy it if I see it and it's okay, or I buy it when it is completely generalized.

With this question, we want to look at when to buy an electric car.

I am number 1. Then you are an innovative consumer who is willing to take risks.

When Musk, the creator of Tesla, first introduced an electric car, calling for the "end of the internal combustion engine," both the car cost and maintenance were much more expensive than the internal combustion engine, so it was rare to see it.

I am number 2. If so, you're still an early adopter, if not a very early one.

Electric vehicles are now at this early adoption stage.

The global penetration rate of electric vehicles is 9.9%, which means that 1 in 10 cars are electric vehicles.

However, the gap is so large that China accounts for more than three-fifths of the market, and Korea is still about 2%.

Prices have dropped slightly, but they are still expensive without subsidies.

So I'm interested in when this (3rd) segment, where a large number of consumers jump into purchasing, will be entered.

The price of the car is similar and the maintenance cost is lower.

It's a stage where it's spreading a lot to the general public, and when will this be?

In Korea, the proportion of electric vehicles is expected to be about 20% by 2030, and globally, electric vehicles are expected to surpass internal combustion engines by 2035.

However, there has been a recent analysis that this period will be delayed a little.

First of all, the charging infrastructure is not keeping up with the growth of electric vehicles, and the price of batteries, which account for half the price of cars, is hardly falling.

In addition, in the aftermath of war, electricity bills became expensive, and maintenance costs were high.

As a result, cracks are appearing in solidarity bound by the value of "eco-friendliness."

When the European Union passed a law that would allow only electric cars to be sold as new cars after 2035, Italy, the home of luxury cars such as Lamborghini and Ferrari, lashed out.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz Germany, and Peugeot's France all voiced their opposition, saying that China is the only policy that will do good.

Toyota's CEO once said, "Many in the auto industry are silent, even though they know that electric cars are not the only alternative."

This is also reflected in actual consumer behavior, with people still hesitant to buy electric vehicles pointing to hybrids as a transitional alternative, with domestic hybrid sales exceeding 200,000 units for the first time last year.

Many consumers think that their next car will be electric and wonder when they can buy it.

Electric cars will eventually become the mainstay, but it seems that many types of cars will coexist for a very considerable period of time.

However, Tesla has been aggressively lowering prices recently, and if there is competition to cut prices, it is good for consumers.

The key is innovation in battery technology.

Batteries with ultra-fast charging could be a 'game changer' that could hasten the time when people who want to buy a cheaper electric car are waiting.

(Planning: Kwon Young-in, Composition: Kim Tae-yeon, Video Interview: Jeon Kyung-bae, Cho Chang-hyun, Editing: Jeon Min-kyu, CG: Seo Dong-min)