Electric cars can lead the charge for green driving
THE Government announcement that the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2040 has caused fear and uncertainty.
As the owner of an electric car, I can comment based on my experience, not hearsay.
The claim that you won’t be able to boil a kettle while charging the car refers to a rapid charge, which is done from a public charger, and not an overnight charge, which can be done at home.
There have also been claims that electric vehicles (EVs) are heavier than conventional cars, and so kick up more particulates from the road surface.
But if internal combustion engine cars did not create the particulates in the first place, an EV could not dislodge them.
I use my electric car for business trips, as well as private use. On long trips, I need to take a break, and this is where rapid charging comes in. By the time I have used the motorway services’ facilities and had some refreshments, the battery has been topped up and I can continue my journey.
In a recent charity event, EVs were driven from Land’s End to John O’Groats during daylight hours. Clearly, the time taken to recharge EVs on a journey is not the big issue it is made out to be.
The charging network is improving all the time, with rapid charging at all motorway services and every 20 miles being part of the Government’s proposals. BP and Shell also plan to install rapid chargers at their filling stations.
Then there is the claim that we will need 20 nuclear power stations to generate enough energy for the country when we all have electric cars.
Well, refining oil into petroleum uses a significant amount of energy, as does its distribution.
Ensuring that new-build homes include solar panels and electricity storage would also help.
Let’s stop knocking the move to EVs. The technology is there — just not yet to the scale needed. TONY CAIRNCROSS, Worthing, W. Sussex.