What do you think of electric cars?

[skeeter]

Great. Thanks.

I've just completed yours too.

Look forward to my discount.

[AccountingBasics]

Thank you to those of you that completed the survey. We have had some great results so far, with 80 surveys completed. We are aiming for 100.

If anyone else has any views on electric cars, your views would be appreciated.

http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=15286elcfk

[Paul Norman]

I am deeply concerned about the growing belief that electric cars are a solution. Electricity is far from a green energy, as it is still mostly generated using fossil fuels.

In addition, moving electricity around the national grid is massively inefficient as a way of distributing energy. This leaves us with electric cars that are less polluting at the point of use, but are most certainly not a good environmental option.

This is quite apart from the fact that the technology is a very long way away from providing a practical way of powering a car. To match the car they would have to have a range of at least 300 miles with no loss of performance, and a recharging time of minutes.

Personally, I hope they get abandonned sooner rather than later as an idea, and that we look more holistically at the problem of personal transport.

[wood1e]

Well I'm no chemistry expert but I do know they alreay use liquid hydrogen for rocket fuel. But then again, more chemicals have to be added to it to turn the gas into liquid...

Bikes, hmmm, definitely an idea but then I wouldn't fancy cycling from Liverpool to Cornwall any day soon- I doubt I'd make it to the top of the street lol!

Apparantly the hydrogen needed for cars/transport is extracted/processed in the same way that petrol is. The difference being that the emissions are water...

And I believe service stations can be converted.

The problem is capital companies will not do it unless there is a demand and profit!!

The government won't do anything about it as they are all hooked on battery powered electric cars.

They can't do anything about the public transport as they are all owned by private companies. And although I believe in generally speaking privatisation is not a bad thing, when it comes to certain public transport ideals then it is...and apparantly costing us more!!

The other issue with privatisation is that once this happens, public/government offices loose all the expertise in running such things.

As they are all now being paid by private companies...and in the case of the former civil servants running them...earning a fortune.

So we are stuck with electric cars....whether they are good or bad!!!!

[arrowsplace]

electric cars have been around for decades think the petrol companies have links with the car manufactures and this has delayed any production.

[Paul Norman]

well, electric cars is a really great concept for preventing our world from noise and air polution caused from cars.

I remain amazed that people believe this electric car thing. Electricity is not a green energy unless it is generated in a sustainable way. Right now, plugging a rechargable battery in for 8 hours every day is amazingly lacking in green credentials.

We need to reduce car energy consumption, I agree. But also, we need to massively reduce our electricity consumption, thereby making sustainable generation of enough electricity possible.

[Indizine]

The Gov seem to be supporting it in the budget

[AccountingBasics]

With the research that we are doing at the moment for a new book on owning an electric car, yes electric cars do cause pollution, but in most countries it is less than the emissions of a petrol car. This figure depends on the source where the electricity is produced. We have the real time data from the National Grid and details on how the electricity is produced. When countries start implementing more renewable energy this figure will improve and reduce the CO2 emissions.

In connection with the air pollution, electric cars will reduce the pollution in towns and cities, as there is no pollution from the exhaust.

One of the main problems with Hydrogen cars is not the emissions, as they are completely green, but it is the amount of energy used to produce the Hydrogen. A lot more research needs to be done to make Hydrogen cars a choice for the future.

Tomorrow we are collecting a Mitsubishi i MiEV, which is a full production electric car. We have it on lease for one year as part of the Governments trial of electric cars. We have had installed a smart meter on our supply for the car. Mitsubishi will also be collecting information from the car, his will then allow for real data, from an everyday situation to be used.

[Punched]

Infrastructure is an issue, but building them is a bigger one. Along with all the dangerous chemicals that are needed for the batteries.

I think the electric battery car is a waste of the environmentalist or governments energy.

Look at other energy sources for cars, that would be a better solution.

Obviously they would still need to be built, but with say a hydrogen car the ommissions would be zero and you could refuel at a petrol/hydrogen station.

So it would be more user friendly.

Best solution is start to think more locally, and maybe buy a bike..!!

I agree 100% The people that have invented hydrogen cars in the past have mysteristly died, Whilst oil is king, i fear we won't see any other type of car become popular.

Oil for what its worth, has wars fought over it, There is so much money invested in oil than any other commodity on the planet, a lot of VERY RICH and powerful people have a keen interest in oil, for them to just give everything up, for something else, is not going to work.

I for one can't wait for the worlds oil to run out, That has been the number 1 item that has damaged this planet more than any other item on this world.

Don't you think that with all the luxuary cars you see on the roads nowdays, some costing over £250,000, they still run on the same crap that we had 150 years ago, thats how important oil is!!

[RawRob]

I've completed the survey, but just a couple of thoughts on the actual survey - there are not options for all views. I don't currently own a car, no way of saying that. Also the True or False questions could have done with an "I don't know" option. And my thoughts on charge time would have been "less than 15 mins" if the option was there.

Rob