The government’s Committee on Climate Change recently predicted that within twelve years four in ten cars on British roads would be electric if ambitious new targets to reduce greenhouse gases were to be met.
The Committee concluded that replacing petrol and diesel-powered cars with electric and hybrid models would dramatically reduce the environmental impact of road transport, which currently accounts for up to a quarter of Britain’s total CO2 emissions.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Hybrid technology will be ready to replace conventional cars by 2012, but a wholesale switch from petrol and diesel-powered car can only happen if there are incentives or penalties to encourage change.”
In other news, a study conducted by the University of California, pedestrians heard a petrol-engined Honda Accord moving at 5 miles per hour three seconds before it reached them – by the time they heard an oncoming Prius, it had already passed by. The issue of electric vehicles making so little noise has prompted a discussion on giving them a form of sound so that pedestrians can hear them coming.
With all these discussions going on, it seems the future could be electric sooner than we think.
29 comments:
Cool Blade Runner reference!
I hope cars do become electric because hyrbid technology is working and not being phased in properly. It should be that only environmentally friendly vehicles get best rates and polluting ones are penaislied, not just for the purchaser but for the manufacturer. If it is uneconomical for carmakers to make polluting cars they'll only make cleaner greener ones and that's the incentive we need from the Govt.
I agree, electric cars should have a zippy sound and should be everywhere. It should be unaffordable, uneconomical and uncool to drive a standard car and electric vehicles should reach a stage where pod-type electric vehicles are given free to all families and workers. This way they'd be cheap, available to all and accepted. Come on Gordon, you can do it!
This is the BEST news!
I like your thinking Tont, I just hope the freebies are better than the G-Wizzes!
There is nothing wrong with G-Whizes, why do they have such a bad name???
I guess they aren't cool enough like the Tesla or the other models, but sure as heck are practical and worth it.
not since the City of London took away the free parking for them.
OK: I genuinely believe with the very slow but rising advent of electric cars coming into the mainstream through various manufacturers, that electric vehicles will definitely make an impact and begin denting the sales of standard cars, especially once the scaling/grading of vehicles begins.
However, incentives like the free parking, congestion charge exemption etc need to be maintained so the benefits of having an EV far outweigh the costs of not having one, and the only ones who can help with this are councils and GOVTS and so on.
We aren't going to make head way without the support of manufacturers, press, politicians and you. So get researching, think before you buy your next vehicle and dream electric.
electric sheep? Is that what we'll become or is that a new name for the cars?
Electric Sheep as in when you're asleep you count sheep.
I still don't get it.
Electric bikes and cars will take off if they are made cheaper and have more reasons to buy them. Fuel is the big one but should be more tax breaks too.
EVs will never take off! They should have planned their launch properly and roled them out when they worked and had all the stuff in place. Too much of a bad rep now has ruined it for everyone.
what bad rep??
Charging times, look, feel, sound, speed, distancen etc
electric vehilces sounded better on paper and in the movies than they have turned out. They should have waited til the TESLA was ready to launch any electric cars and made them more affordable. If they were sold as the most affordable cars then everyone would get one as a second car and then it would just be a matter of time til they replaced the primary car.
That's my two cents.
SOCRATES, the bad rep points are actually all good points!
You can charge them - whoopee! no petrol!
Distance is on average better than others would expect - you can do a couple of journeys on one charge!
They look ok, but the Tesla is gorgeous!
Feel - almost the same as a normal car!
Sound - there is none!!!
Speed is between 40-60mph tops and realistically you wouldn't do more than that unless you're speeding so there.
I dream of electric cars that look like the one in minority report!
I never in my life thought I'd see an electric car and am so pleased they have begun to emerge. Credit to cars like the G Wiz for paving the way and for the Tesla for making it so cool.
Electric cars are supposed to be about the environment so that's the biggest selling point, forget the style stuff, think about substance and the savings compared to unpredictable petrol prices.
wasnt kitt from knight rider electrric?
NO!
no sound also contributes to no pollution - no sound pollution!
how on earth would KITT be electric? With all the lights he has, ('Darth Vader's bathroom'), the energy required for super pursuit mode and turbo boost as well as audio communications with Micahel it would be pretty impossible for him to run on electric power given he's lit up like a Christmas tree when trying to operate normally.
Oh yeah Devon, right. Never thought about it in THAT much detail. Thanks for that.
We need to see a major change soon if we are to meet targets, send the right message out there and lead instead of follow. Electric vehicles have not been so mainstream because the manufacturers have failed us but with so many exciitng new vehicles coming round, we have no choice but to do what we can to encourage their uptake and keep costs low.
Blade runner was an awesome film. All Hollywood films predict we'll run out of fuel and need electric cars yet we still think we'll be ok!
I own a GWhiz and I can't even imagine paying for petrol anymore, electricity is the way to go.
I Dream of electric sheep. They jump in a virtual meadow.
aah, what a nice thought.
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