Memories from the future: from science fiction to reality

Over thirty years ago, the movie Back to the Future installed an idea in the collective memory of an entire generation of a reality that in 1985 seemed like the distant future. I have to admit that I, millennial that I am, get excited when I see some of those amazing inventions come to life: the “hoverboard”, the video call, television on demand, clothes that dry by themselves and, more recently, holograms that are practically indistinguishable from true reality.

But the car…well, that’s another story. Today, almost three years after having left that “distant future” in the past, a time-traveling vehicle is still impossible. Almost everyone remembers the DeLorean that Doc Brown returns from the future with was a flying car, but what truly impressed me the most was that it ran on garbage. A car that wasn’t an expense and helped the environment!

Almost halfway through 2018 and cars still don’t fly and continue to pollute the air. However, the car of the future is increasingly becoming a reality. Not one that flies or runs on garbage, of course, but one that requires little or no fuel to get around.

The electric vehicle industry has advanced by leaps and bounds since the Prius was launched in 1997 and revolutionized the hybrid domestic car market. Today there are cars on the market that run entirely on electricity and can be charged on the street or even in a personal garage, and roughly two million electric vehicles are already found on streets around the world, with major manufacturers calculating that they will be producing over a million electric cars every year by 2025.

Electric transport in Andorra

Andorra has seen the environmental potential of this type of vehicle and has made a very clear commitment to its implementation with the well-known Engega plan. In April, the government once again agreed to a new program to promote the purchase of electric vans and trucks with a budget of €850,000 in aid.

Another initiative that is closely linked to the introduction of electric vehicles is the installation of electric bicycle stations. Still in the development phase, the “shared electric bicycles” project plans to distribute some fifty bicycles among fifteen stations across the country. If the project continues on schedule, this service will become a reality in 2019. The bikes are expected to be available for both Andorran citizens and tourists, providing another way for visitors to tour the Principality on two wheels.

This commitment to electric vehicles and sustainable mobility has already had results. One example is that Andorra ranks fourth in the world in electric and hybrid vehicle sales after Finland, Iceland and Sweden. According to data published in early 2018, 3.4% of the total number of vehicles in the Principality are already electric. The data is telling.

The Government of Andorra and the Actua Tech Foundation are working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop, test and implement mobility alternatives in Andorra that are based on sustainability and the introduction of new technologies. Hopefully these initiatives will take shape and gain traction, since electric mobility would provide energy savings and lower emissions in the medium and long term, a benefit for all the inhabitants of the Principality.

Please remember that MoraBanc offers you the Eco-Cotxe loan, for people who are interested in buying a plug-in electric or hybrid vehicle, with an attractive interest rate and no opening or cancelling commissions.

You can also ask for our available range of loans directly at any MoraBanc branch or call us at +376 884 884.