As a green frenzy appears to be taking over the country I notice that 'All Electric' cars are being promoted more. Why?
The electric car is NOT the answer to cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. Sure they don't put any out at the point of use, so cities will be cleaner, but all that happens is that the emissions are transferred back to the power station. As we are not presently building any new nuclear stations in this country and renewables constitute such a low percentage of the total generation, this means that all the extra demand for electricity will fall on fossil fuel power stations. How is that greener?
We are told that by using electric cars we will be ready when renewables take off. But when will that be? Not for some time as we will need to increase our planned build to cope with the existing demand never mind the extra imposed by electric cars.
And then we have the issue of range - many people with an electric car will need a conventional car to travel the longer distances that the electric car cannot manage. Typical range on a good day seems to be in the order of 80 to 100 miles, before needing a high power charge point or a long time at a normal domestic power point.
Few people will be able to afford the electric car initially, as the price is disproportionally high compared with a conventional car. I am sure prices will come down (and also some consideration will have to be given to battery replacement otherwise second hand cars will have little value) but in the meantime they are likely to be the domain of celebrities who use them as a status symbol to show off their 'green' credentials.
Battery packs present another issue in addition to their likely high cost of replacement, and that is the environmental impact both of production and disposal. These are potentially very dangerous and toxic to the environment.
What is the solution - well we can either cut down on travel, not likely given that many people live some distance from work and their families, or we can improve upon what we have until we have the renewables power generation to support electric vehicles and the range is increased to be viable. Add to that the addressing of battery issues and then it may become viable.
Until then, I am sticking with my diesel car and minimising my mileage where possible.
News out today, Philip Hammond on behalf of the government thinks that charging points on every street corner will be too expensive (give the man a Blue Peter badge!) and we should concentrate on charging at home. This kind of limits the use of these cars to the small circle around your house.
ReplyDeleteBetter still, wireless charging points are being proposed where you can save the minor invonvenience of connecting your car via a cable but spend much more money and have a charging mat on your drive or in your garage. You then get to leave the car here for several hours whilst it trickle charges.
Would it surprise anyone that the number of electic car purchases, aided by government grants (that is our money) has tailed off significantly? Perhaps all those who like the novelty or want to boast their so called green credentials now have one.