Hybrid stalemate

The push to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2030 is pie in the sky.

i bought a hyundai Sonata plug-in hybrid in 2016. i regret my decision.

i wanted an electric car, but was concerned about battery life. But hyundai was offering an unlimited battery warranty to that car’s original purchasers.

Last year, i started to have problems with its electrical system. So in late november 2022, i took it into a hyundai dealership for diagnosis and repair.

it needed a new lithium polymer battery. But as there were no such replacement batteries stocked, they had to order one from the manufacturer in South Korea — meaning an unspecified delay before my car could be repaired.

More than six months later, i am still waiting for the new battery.

The service manager’s attempts to get information from hyundai have been answered with vague responses and missed projections.

My advice is to be wary of buying an eV. An attractive warranty is not worth two cents if the car cannot be repaired in a reasonable timeframe.

Just another example of trying to push these supposedly green vehicles before the technology is there. stuart a. CHaLLis,

Chelmsford, essex. SO, eLeCTriC cars are the ‘future for everybody’.

What about people who live in an apartment block? Where do they find a charger?

JaMes triCkett, nottingham. During lockdown, i went to purchase a new Kia car at the leading dealership. The cheapest electric one was £35,000. i doubted that a secondhand one would be substantially cheaper. Therefore, i decided to buy a medium-sized petrol Kia for nearly half the price.

JaCkie saMueL, London nW3. hOW many people will want to buy a second-hand electric car when they have to pay an additional £5,000£10,000 for a new battery, and probably a disposal fee for the old one?

The government seems so hellbent on rushing down the electric route that it is failing to consider hydrogen or synthetic fuels, both of which could be sold from existing petrol stations. keitH Morton-Davies,

Congleton, Cheshire.