We could be world leaders

I couldn’t disagree more with David Driscoll

(4 August). The only thing I do agree with is that

ICE is dead and electric motors will drive cars of the future. My issue is how the power is ported.

BEV is a solution for the rich only and will create an environmental mess. The UK has missed the boat on being leader in this field, but hydrogen is still up for grabs. The challenge is sustainable hydrogen production and distribution. Why throw our money at charging infrastructure that will put pressure on the National Grid while subsiding the wealthiest into premium cars?

BEV batteries are mostly produced abroad using unsustainable materials sourced in some politically unstable parts of the world. BEV is at best a temporary solution and at worst a distraction, diverting R&D money and delaying the real solution.

I would use taxpayers’ money to seed an innovative, self-sustaining hydrogen industry with supporting infrastructure. Britain is an island surrounded by water (the source material of hydrogen), wind and tides that are already being used successfully to generate green sustainable electricity. We have experience building and running offshore rigs to extract gas and oil. And we have a number of world-leading universities.

The UK is in a strong position to be the engine of the future industrial revolution, rather than a refugee of the last one that buys from overseas products in which it has no stake. This isn’t quite rocket science, but it does require focus. I urge the government to use this country’s current wealth to invest in the future that’s not only beneficial to the planet but also to the prosperity of the future population of this nation.

Edward Croft

Via email