Brazil and some in the U.S are firmly backing ethanol as the fuel of the future. The UK thinks that electricity is the way forward, and they’re putting our money where their mouth is. The Independent UK reports that 11,000 charging points for electric cars are to be built in London, Milton Keynes and the North East. This project is being part supported by the UK government to the tune of £30 million. Coincidentally, the North East is where Nissan’s UK plant is. Is the government trying to butter someone up to produce a certain type of vehicle there? If successful, (or the government wants to force it on the public) then a second wave of charging points will roll out.
This shouldn’t really come as a, well, shock as the government is solidly pro-electric cars. In the pre-budget reports, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced tax rebates for electric cars. But there is another little problem:
The UK has been strongly forecast to have a power shortage unless there is a massive overhaul of the current infrastructure. Ofgem (the UK’s energy watchdog) has said that failure to reform the energy market, in order to free up the £200 billion investment needed to secure the energy needed for the country, may lead to power shortages after 2015.
Now let’s see … charging points … isn’t that where you stick some kind of a credit card into a reader?
I would be more worried about batteries not being capable enough to encourage demand for EVs. I can easily imagine EVs running out of charge on the 53 miles from London to Milton Keynes or soon after arrival if they don’t know the way to the charging stations. And the North East? Where is that? Like Liverpool? People would have to tow their EV most of the way with their ICE car.
Liverpool is the North West. The North East is Newcastle. Where nearby a certain manufacturer of a certain car leafs…err, I mean, lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Motor_Manufacturing_(UK)_Ltd
“The UK has been strongly forecast to have a power shortage unless there is a massive overhaul of the current infrastructure.”
This seems to be a problem for many countries in the future. It looks like everyone forgot to invest in utilities, roads, bridges and “non-important” stuff like that.
Hey, learn to live with it. Join the hive. Be happy.
The UK is in terrible shape in all ways, having just returned to NA from Edinburgh for a family matter and discussing the economy there with many relatives, I sense that the UK could very easily slip back into Recession at any moment, I think the idea of plug ins is a good theory but hardly worth talking about in the near term, its not going to happen for a very long time in either the UK or any other Country imho!
As everybody knows, electricity comes out of the socket. So, why worry about infrastructure?
London already has many perks for electrics such as no congestion charge (8 lbs per day as I remember)preferred parking, and no carbon tax as well as lower road use taxes. There will be many more electrics sold there just because of these benefits. For those who have never struggled with the issues of cars and large cities, these items are pure gold.