Electric Cars (how they work and are they the future?)
One of the first electric cars, Oshay Watercolors
Electric cars are now being promoted by government so much that it now offers grants (through seller discounts) to encourage people to make the switch. The reason is that electric cars don’t give off the same emissions as petrol/diesel cars, so contribute less to climate change and air pollution.
Of course, there are actually better ways to do this: promote car-sharing clubs (to avoid people having to buy cars), and creating walkable communities where people can stroll to local shops and groceries, and not live in a ‘car-centric culture’.
But if you do buy or replace a car, are electric cars worth the switch? They soon will be, as the aim within a decade or two, is for everyone to drive them. They are still more expensive, but due to less moving parts and maintenance, do last longer than petrol cars.
Avoiding City Congestion Charges
Electric cars are becoming popular, as they become more affordable. London drivers can save up to £10,000 by avoiding the London Congestion Charge.
Bath also has a Congestion Charge, and other cities (Bristol, Newcastle, Portsmouth and Sheffield) have introduced Clean Air Zones (which could feature congestion charges). A proposed Congestion Charge is currently under review in Greater Manchester.
The Cleaner Vehicle Discount offers several discounts from the government. This includes offering help with the upfront price, road tax waivers and free access to some low-emission zones. Electric vehicle owners also pay less in maintenance, thanks to fewer moving parts.
Are Electric Cars Safe?
Obviously new cars have to be kind of safe, or else they would not legally be allowed to be sold. All the main car models now offer electric or hybrid versions, and you can find safety info at car websites or in magazines/newspapers for expert reviews. Read this EV buying guide.
Electric cars are quieter, which often gives rise to concerns if a person or animal can hear them coming. But studies have found that at high speed, the noise is similar (due to tyres etc).
The time when they are ‘silent’ is say driving slowly out of a driveway or supermarket car park, when cars are not hopefully going at speed anyway.
EV makers are now inventing cars with noisier tyres, to alert pedestrians and wildlife. Plus of course EV vehicles have no air-pollution exhausts or leaking oil, which harms. Read more on making roads safer for wildlife).
Fire risks for electric vehicles are usually due to lithium-ion batteries (the same reason why vapes should always be recycled at shops), due to short circuits, overcharging or physical damage. But they are less of a fire risk than petrol cars, due to no fuel leaks.
There is a 0.0012% chance of an EV catching fire, compared to a 0.1% chance of a petrol or diesel vehicle catching fire. Energy Saving Trust
How to Charge Electric Cars
One advantage of electric cars is that you don’t have to worry about wearing plastic gloves at the petrol station! They are often being littered all over petrol station surrounds, even where there are bins.
You can charge electric cars at public charging stations or use Go Zero Electric Car Chargers to charge at home with solar power. Private driveway owners and even office and hotel owners, can earn up to £5000 passive income, by letting other drivers use their charging stations (say at weekends or out of season).
Elon Musk and Tesla
Of course the most famous electric car in recent times is Tesla, which has created the world’s richest man. Elon Musk (on course to become the world’s first trillionaire) has his finger in many other business pots, but this is the main one.
He recently assisted President Trump with policy including cutting foreign aid, which led Bill Gates to accuse ‘the world’s richest man of killing the world’s poorest children’.
A staunch supporter of right-wing politics, he has talked of giving mega donations in the UK, with critics saying he should mind his own political business, as it’s not his job to decide who governs us.
Defenders say he has created hundreds of thousands of jobs. But his political views have led many people to boycott Tesla, with critics saying that those jobs would just go to other companies that made electric cars.
Jeremy, Nigel and Electric Cars!
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson famously does not like electric cars, saying he prefers the roar of a petrol engine, so does not like reviewing new cars anymore (he famously had a spat with Elon Musk, after he gave a bad review of a Tesla).
Nigel Farage also dislikes electric cars, saying they are ‘net zero madness’, which has led to a cultural backlash, with many more people buying them.
One surprising criticism he makes is that it harms British jobs. But actually many people have good skilled jobs making electric cars, whose jobs would be lost, he his wish came true:
Why does Nigel Farage want me to lose my job? Worker in a Merseyside factory that makes electric cars
Back to Elon Musk, he has asked that Nigel Farage be replaced as head of Reform UK (though what it’s got to do with him again is unclear). Instead, Musk now supports Advance UK, which the BBC has labelled far-right, due to its extreme views (the party is backed by Tommy Robinson).
