This whole idea is doomed to failure. Our Goverment can't even organise PPE for the Health Service so what chance is there of enough charging points to service 30 million electric vehicles? Then we come to a bigger question, is the rest of the world going to follow, because if not will the supply of electric cars be there? Ever wondered why the petrol filler of your German car is on the Right hand side furthest from the kerb? Its because it is on the kerb side in that manufacturers major markets and they wont stand the expense to change for the UK market. So, what chance they will provide enough electric cars, if the demand is not there elsewhere?
And where is the major market? well in the car company I worked for 80% of production went to China and America. Europe, even, was relatively minor. Can you see China installing charging points for 240 million vehicles anytime soon? Until this changes, maufacturers will regard electric cars as something they are obliged to produce to satisfy a legal requirement and they will be priced accordingly. Currently, that price difference amounts to a tax of £10,000 on buying an electric car, how long are people going to stand for that once they realise?
And then, the Government of the day will have to explain why we dont have the latest generation IC engine technology which is cleaner, greener and less expensive than the electric cars we have bankrupted ourselves to produce.
And where is the major market? well in the car company I worked for 80% of production went to China and America. Europe, even, was relatively minor. Can you see China installing charging points for 240 million vehicles anytime soon? Until this changes, maufacturers will regard electric cars as something they are obliged to produce to satisfy a legal requirement and they will be priced accordingly. Currently, that price difference amounts to a tax of £10,000 on buying an electric car, how long are people going to stand for that once they realise?
And then, the Government of the day will have to explain why we dont have the latest generation IC engine technology which is cleaner, greener and less expensive than the electric cars we have bankrupted ourselves to produce.
Alan Fairless