“The new upfront costs of electric cars is too high compared to diesel and petrol cars” the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) announced recently. Something the rest of the population has been saying for years.
Stunning that there has to be a committee that has to get together to determine that the plan to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030 wont work unless there is a proper plan.
Basically the government said that in 9 years we won’t be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car, but didn’t have a plan to provide alternative arrangements.
The Department of Transport, behind the scheme being put forward, appear to have made a number of assumptions about the use of electric vehicles. These include that 99 per cent of journeys are less than 100 miles, that the vast majority of electric vehicle charging will be at home and at night time, and that people would only be using the public charging infrastructure on longer trips.
What is not known?
They don’t know how many charging points will be required in the national infrastructure.
They don’t have an accurate environmental impact study that covers the production, use and eventual recycling of the vehicles.
There is no programme of training for mechanics.
And, if we all go home and plug in our cars they don’t know if the national grid will be able to cope with it.
I see trouble ahead!
Commenting on the report, Mike Hawes, chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that a “comprehensive and holistic” plan was needed. “That plan must convince consumers to make the switch, it must provide the incentives that make electric cars affordable for all and it must ensure recharging is as easy as refuelling, which means a massive and rapid rollout of infrastructure nationwide.”
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