Britta Reineke × Hyundai Present the EV Literacy Series
4 minute read
Welcome to the electric revolution. Around the world, momentum is gathering as more and more people are switching to electric vehicles and public transport is becoming electrified. In line with this, we’ve launched our IONIQ 5, the first BEV in our IONIQ series. Inspired by this, we caught up with Britta Reineke - founder of ellectric - to find out why e-mobility excites her, why it’s an exciting time to go electric, and what she thinks the future of mobility might look like.
If you’ve been thinking about switching to an electric car and you’ve been feeling hesitant to do so before now, don’t worry. Whether you want to know more about electric car batteries, the range of EVs, how to charge an EV, or what it’s like to drive one, we’ll be answering all your questions and the coming months.
From fashion to mobility
Based in Berlin, Britta started her career in the world of fashion after completing a bachelor’s degree in International Fashion & Management at the renowned Amsterdam Fashion Institute in 2014. Then, in September 2017, "I made a radical shift from the fashion industry to the automotive industry, and, in August 2019, I launched ellectric - the first platform connecting mobility and lifestyle with a feminine perspective," she explains.
Not only do we place the focus on women, but we also look at mobility from a holistic point of view. ellectric is lifestyle, zeitgeist and a trendsetter. BRITTA REINEKE
"I grew up with my father’s love of cars, so I have been surrounded by topics from the automotive industry from an early age," she says. "While my career path may have started in the fashion industry, my interest in mobility just grew more and more, so I followed my heart and decided to make a radical professional change."
Now, she uses what she learned from her work in the fashion industry and applies this to the world of mobility. ellectric has a distinctly feminine perspective because, as Britta realized "80% of car-buying decisions are influenced by women." When you look at the topic of e-mobility, "women are extremely interesting as a target group for the use of e-cars but are often ignored. "Not only do we place the focus on women, but we also look at mobility from a holistic point of view. ellectric is lifestyle, zeitgeist and a trendsetter."
Why now is the time to go electric
According to the IEA, around 3 million new electric cars were registered last year, a 41% rise from 2019. What’s more, the agency also expects that the global electric vehicle fleet could hit 230 million by the end of the decade. With so many exciting developments taking place in the world of electric vehicles, we asked Britta why she thinks now is a great time to make the switch.
For Britta, the fact that electric vehicles are "the better solution for the environment compared to combustion engines" is a major reason to make the switch. "As the energy transition advances every year, electric driving is becoming more climate-friendly," she says.
What’s more, "the range of e-cars is growing all the time," she continues. "There are now electric cars available in every vehicle class. The batteries are getting better and cheaper, and customers even have a choice of different battery sizes. With the introduction of solid-state batteries in mass-produced cars, the range of EVs will also increase dramatically."
Another exciting thing about EVs right now is that "charging performance is also improving, with many car manufacturers like Hyundai now offering fast charging. For example, it now takes just five minutes to charge an electric car for a range of up to 100 km," she says.
What will the future of mobility look like?
With so many exciting developments taking place in the electro-mobility industry, what does Britta think the future of mobility will look like?
The Covid19 pandemic has "reaffirmed the need for individual mobility," she says. But, whatever the future of mobility looks like, "it is important that mobility remains affordable. Mobility is a basic democratic right. It affords us freedom and must be accessible to everyone. In the countryside, for example, there are other requirements for mobility that need to be met too."
Mobility is a basic democratic right. It affords us freedom and must be accessible to everyone.BRITTA REINEKE
Britta also sees micro-mobility and last-mile mobility, not just in individual transport but also in logistics, gaining importance. "Flexibility in mobility is becoming increasingly important, i.e., the ability to be mobile at all times and in all places. This means that "mobility-as-a-service will increase accordingly, offering customers tailored mobility solutions based on their individual needs. In the not-too-distant future, self-driving cars, like Hyundai’s Robotaxi, will take us around in urban environments and cities will become smarter and more connected."
Ready to make the switch to electric? Check out our all-electric IONIQ series. And, if you have more questions related to EVs, have a look at our EV Literacy series on Follow Hyundai’s Instagram(@hyundai) and stay tuned for two more articles with Britta here on our website.