Electric cars aren’t all va-va-vroom . . .
THE Government has stated the sale of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned by 2040, with all such vehicles off the roads by 2050. I have owned an electric car, a Renault Zoe family hatchback, for several months. I have driven 3,000 miles, so I am in a position to comment on how this will work. The car is a delight to drive. It is quiet and has exceptional performance. The low centre of gravity because of the position of its battery means it hugs the road. However, whenever you drive it, you know the power in the battery is diminishing by the mile. Eco-mode reduces consumption of electricity and increases range, but it reduces performance and limits the top speed to 60mph, which is rather boring. Range anxiety is the state of mind for electric car owners. Wind and load are significant factors that are not really noticed in an ordinary car. On one 60-mile trip, driving into a 40mph headwind, I used much more battery power than expected. Fortunately, I came home with a tailwind and made it back with plenty of charge to spare. Charging the car at home is easy. I have a Zappi in my garage, powered by solar panels in the roof. When the sun doesn’t shine, the charger draws a current from the house mains at a slow or fast speed. I also have a trickle charger that fits into any plug socket. The biggest challenge of owning an electric car is charging away from home on a long journey. The car will tell me where to find the nearest charging point, but there are at least four different networks. Some must be prepaid or accessed by a card or mobile phone app. When you find a charging point, your problems have only just begun. At South Mimms service station on the M25, there are four chargers, but only one with a fitting that suits my car — so what do I do if another vehicle is using it? It might be a long wait. On a trip to Norfolk, I found half the charging points I visited were not working. The charging points also operate at very different speeds. It’s fine to plug in at a stately National Trust home and explore the house and grounds for six hours while your car charges up, but not so good if you are trying to get to Glasgow. So for a long journey you must plan ahead carefully. It’s just as well the AA runs a rescue service for exhausted electric cars! This type of car must be the transport for the future, and for most people it will be ideal, even if running it demands a certain amount of technical know-how. However, the take-up is very low. Last year, the number of electric cars sold in Britain was 1 per cent of the total, compared with Norway, where it was 49 per cent. Our charging network is pathetically small, so a huge government programme is essential if electric cars take over our roads.
toM tYler, ipswich, suffolk.