Adventures in an all electric vehicle.

[addjunkie]

I wouldn’t take it at face value in terms of absolute numbers, but by all accounts they are ploughing ahead with it.

It might have been true 10 years ago to say they were doing nothing, but not so sure any more.

A neighbour of ours has been visiting china various industrial areas for about 10 years regularly. He’s commented a few times about how much progress hes been seeing with charge points and stuff….big difference there, government decides, people do, no 10 years in planning, protests and public enquiries!

 

[daleyd]

A neighbour of ours has been visiting china various industrial areas for about 10 years regularly. He’s commented a few times about how much progress hes been seeing with charge points and stuff….big difference there, government decides, people do, no 10 years in planning, protests and public enquiries!

I think there’s probably a happy medium to be had somewhere between us and them! On balance I think I prefer our way…

 

[Nick67GT]

All for our 1% contribution towards the World's pollution issue.

This is what seems so disproportionate when you consider the measures being taken by our government to achieve, I believe, a carbon neutral status 2050.

I realise that it’s related to developing technology in order that emerging economies can benefit from our investments, but ultimately, such countries are still going through their own ‘Industrial Revolution‘ and I believe that our efforts to avert / minimise their impact on global warming will be minimal at best.

 

[premmington]

I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

China and the Guardian. Which one is worse at telling porkies.

Yeah China lies...

But I listen to Guardian podcasts in the bath.

(what does that say about me?)

 

[rhubarb7]

Yeah China lies...

But I listen to Guardian podcasts in the bath.

(what does that say about me?)

You should be playing with your ducks not listening to that twaddle

 

[Ubique]

Yeah China lies...

But I listen to Guardian podcasts in the bath.

(what does that say about me?)

Thoroughly (brain) washed?

 

[daleyd]

You should be playing with your ducks not listening to that twaddle

I’ve been wracking my head trying to think of a “left wing” joke to squeeze in but I’ve given up!

 

[rhubarb7]

I’ve been wracking my head trying to think of a “left wing” joke to squeeze in but I’ve given up!

Ducks from Waitrose taste better when reading the Guardian whilst bathing oldbean

 

[GRW]

You know that China are investing massively in renewables? I’m not saying they are some kind of shining light, but what they are actually doing might surprise you.

China on course to hit wind and solar power target five years ahead of time

Beijing bolstering position as global renewables leader with solar capacity more than rest of world combined

amp.theguardian.com

Yeah - China are developing all these "Green Technologies".....

...... to sell to US

 

[addjunkie]

Yeah - China are developing all these "Green Technologies".....

...... to sell to US

MG electric cars, lithium batteries and solar stuff spring to mind!

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

With millions of EVs plugged into the grid I guess there will be massive capacity to absorb and store electricity during peak generation periods.

 

[premmington]

London ULEZ expansion scheme.

S Khan - Major. Won in High Court.

Now he has started pouring the free money in.

£2k grant to swap your old car (you used to have to been on benefits - now you don't). £5k to £7k for vans.

 

[GRW]

London ULEZ expansion scheme.

S Khan - Major. Won in High Court.

Now he has started pouring the free money in.

£2k grant to swap your old car (you used to have to been on benefits - now you don't). £5k to £7k for vans.

Cue the same routine as happened with the last Scrappage Scheme then?

The Scheme will be snapped up by those who are in a better position to afford a new car anyway. The low income majority still won't be able to afford the commitment to spend that much on a vehicle.

So the better off will cash in & take the "free money" (aka Our Money thats being handed-out)......
...... and a lot of cars with plenty of life left in them (but very little £ value) will get scrapped.... so that they aren't available any more in thd marketplace to all the people who really need a cheap car!

As usual an initiative that hands taxpayers money out to those who don't need it - and make life more difficult & expensive for those that really do need it.

 

[premmington]

Cue the same routine as happened with the last Scrappage Scheme then?

The Scheme will be snapped up by those who are in a better position to afford a new car anyway. The low income majority still won't be able to afford the commitment to spend that much on a vehicle.

So the better off will cash in & take the "free money" (aka Our Money thats being handed-out)......
...... and a lot of cars with plenty of life left in them (but very little £ value) will get scrapped.... so that they aren't available any more in thd marketplace to all the people who really need a cheap car!

As usual an initiative that hands taxpayers money out to those who don't need it - and make life more difficult & expensive for those that really do need it.

Sadly... @GRW

I have to agree 100% with every point you made above. You make a good arguement against it.

----

But I given this a lot of thought - how else do you attempt to thin out old poluting cars. Financial incentives to scrap them - is really the only tool you got (and it is a blunt tool that favours the wealthy). If you raise the roadtax - the poor can't afford to pay this either. If you create ULEZ zones and make people pay - this is not popular with low income earners. I can see no other way and yes it has shortfalls and shortcomings - it does mate. But I can't honestly see another/better option...

Air quality due to particulates from Diesels is a problem in urban areas - it is...

The problem at the heart of the EV car revolution is - it is too expensive for low earners - EV cars are just too dear (at the moment).

 

[GRW]

With millions of EVs plugged into the grid I guess there will be massive capacity to absorb and store electricity during peak generation periods.

That's assuming there's enough Network Capacity to charge them all up in the first place!

Plus, all those who've stored that energy in their EV's...... will have stored it for their own use - not for anyone else's.

They'll either be unplugging their EV to drive it & deplete it during the day - or to save the stored energy for later..... I really can't see owners being happy to "share" their stored energy on the network, having their battery used longer & cycled more often etc - to want to use their EV as part of a network to sustain an overstrained, over-capacity, creaking network!

More likely - if there's a struggling energy network - you'll see the well-heeled investing in a diesel generator to make sure THEIR house & EV has Energy - they won't be sharing (or saving the planet).

Human nature at work.

 

[GRW]

Sadly... @GRW

I have to agree 100% with every point you made above. You make a good arguement against it.

----

But I given this a lot of thought - how else do you attempt to thin out old poluting cars. Financial incentives to scrap them - is really the only tool you got (and it is a blunt tool that favours the wealthy). If you raise the roadtax - the poor can't afford to pay this either. If you create ULEZ zones and make people pay - this is not popular with low income earners. I can see no other way and yes it has shortfalls and shortcomings - it does mate. But I can't honestly see another/better option...

Future Transport Policy (as its being made by those who already extract 5-figure sums annually for themselves out of the Public Purse) - is demonstrably set to exclude (price out) an exponentially increasing percentage of the population (as you've said).

If they price those with the lowest disposable income out of the car (any car)....then they resolve the issues of congestion & vehicle pollution the easy way (for them that is).

 

[premmington]

Future Transport Policy (as its being made by those who already extract 5-figure sums annually for themselves out of the Public Purse) - is demonstrably set to exclude (price out) an exponentially increasing percentage of the population (as you've said).

If they price those with the lowest disposable income out of the car (any car)....then they resolve the issues of congestion & vehicle pollution the easy way (for them that is).

"Transport poverty"....

The phrase has been about for a very long while now - but in general - most people seem to be in denial about it becoming a reality.

I seen it coming for a long while now...

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

The Scheme will be snapped up by those who are in a better position to afford a new car anyway.

Doubt it'll make much difference to the better off...people currently buying are doing it thro the BIK tax relief or the salary sacrifice relief....the scrappage scheme is basically chicken feed and most who can afford it have already swapped their cars for ulez compliant ones anyway.

Old diesels disappeared from my street months ago...replaced mostly with petrols. People who bought EVs did so years ago on the other schemes....they just swap them for new every few years....that what I'm seeing here in West London.

Is it £2k off a "non ulez car....less than 1 month before the deadline? An EV costs £30k-£40k...delivery in a year?....ain't really going sway people I think.

 

[brewdexta]

Affordable electric dreams come true: Octopus EV unveils second hand salary sacrifice scheme

octopus.energy

 

[My Old Landy]

Affordable electric dreams come true: Octopus EV unveils second hand salary sacrifice scheme

octopus.energy

I wonder what salary you have to be on to get that deal as the article doesn't say?