When I was a kid, just after WWII, milk that was not delivered door to door by horse and cart was usually delivered by an electrically powered vehicle and I travelled to school on an electric trolley bus with overhead power lines. So they are not a new idea but many people, including myself, are finding it hard to come to terms with the thought of having to buy a fully electric car anytime soon.
From the UK Gov website, that can be found here, they state that ‘The strategy sets out our vision and action plan for the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK, ahead of the phase-out dates. We intend:
•to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
•for all new cars and vans to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035.
Most people I have mentioned this to, consider ‘insufficient charging points’ as a major reason for not wanting to take the plunge and buy a 100%, fully electric car. So it is good that the government is onto this, which is only to be expected.
Due to the current world wide problems causing electricity prices to increase dramatically, there is going to be a phase of a year or more, when the cost saving argument is not a powerful one but hopefully, somehow, that will have to be resolved one way or another. Fortunately I am not a politician and don’t have to come up with a solution to that one.
I am hoping to buy myself a new car next year and as a gesture of goodwill to the nation and another move to being environmentally friendly, I am focusing on electric power / petrol engine hybrid cars that will run on electric power for about 100-150 miles. With my driving habits, that would equate to about 90% of my journey’s being all-electric. I am lucky enough to have a garage attached to my house, with a drive so that charging the car should not be a problem.
I don’t know how people who live in high rise apartments, or on main roads with no drive and double yellow lines outside their house, are going to cope.
It seems like it is going to be a nightmare for many folk and as I say, I’m pleased I don’t have to sort out the problems.
John Lightfoot, Solar Solve Chairman
