Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced plans for a £10 million project intended to encourage the development of electric cars in the UK.
Car manufacturers are invited to bid for funding to run electric car and ‘ultra-low carbon vehicle’ demonstration projects in UK cities. Around 100 electric cars will be provided to various towns and cities.
Hoon also said that up to £20 million has already made available to encourage UK research into improving the viability of electric cars, with the Government hoping that up to 10,000 new British jobs will be created through the development of alternative technologies.
Despite the announcement, Britain is still lagging behind in the development of an electric vehicle infrastructure, with Israel and Denmark already pressing ahead with bigger pilot schemes and the creation of nation-wide recharging points.
Last week the British Government acknowledged that widespread use of electric cars in the UK will require dramatic upgrades to the national electricity generation and distribution system.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: Govt unveils £10m electric car project
I want to know one simple fact.
Taking out all the infrastructure issues and costs on the environment, what are the CO2 figures per mile of an electric car in comparison to a hybrid car such as a Chevrolet Volt?
All the environmentalists and politicians don't seem to be able to come up with a figure, but I have a gut feeling that the figures would not be favourable for the electric car.
Add in the extra "costs" of setting up an electrical charging infrastructure, I would imagine that in real terms we are going to be causing more pollution and problems than if we left well alone and continued developing the vehicles we have now.
Re: Govt unveils £10m electric car project
I'm sorry, it doesn't even save the planet. An electric car uses 20-30% more energy fed into the power stations than a decent diesel car of the same size uses. Also can someone please proiivde me with a heating system for battery-electric cars (hybtrids are OK) that doesn't drain the batteries?
The running costs today to *UK PLC* are greater for the electric car. The loss in fuel taxation (diesel is taxed, electricity is untaxed or almost untaxed) would have to be made up somewhere else.
Re: Govt unveils £10m electric car project
£10m to save the planet and £37bn to prop up our badly run banks. Ugh.