Ban on UK ic car sales brought forward to 2035

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
Here's a Boris Johnson measure I approve of. Bringing the ic car ban forward from 2040 to 2035 gets us more into line with mainland Europe countries whose choices have been from 2025 to 2035.

There's a lot of silly media chatter about the so called impossibility of meeting the new date, but it is of course easy. What they are forgetting is that ic cars will still be able to be used indefinitely beyond that date. Since the average life of a car in Europe is 18 years and PHEVs will last much longer, we've got at least 35 years to make enough pure e-cars and enlarge the charging infrastructure sufficiently.

The UK alone can make 70 million cars in that time, well over two for every one on the road here at present.
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Benjahmin

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 10, 2014
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Yeh, there was the usual froth about job losses, GDP reduction blah blah etc. This is a target that will probably be missed (like most targets) but never the less needs to be there. Otherwise the industry will plod along as usual looking only at profits.
This is a change that is way overdue. I wonder where the technology would be now if it had been enforced in the 70's?
I still don't know how it will work for me. Terraced house, no off road parking or garage. Lampost charging wouldn't work either - 'cos there are none!
However it has to be done in tandem with a vast cut in the amount we travel overall.
 
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Zlatan

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2016
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I think Boris is actually making right noises on many issues. His stance on this, sentencing for terrorists and many other things is getting lots of support.
Once I think an EV is capable of coast and back with a 40 mile reserve and can carry my windsurf kit and for a reasonable price I, ll be having one.
Recently read an article, now I cant find, saying that folk are beginning to look at real costs of running EV and not just issues around range. Yes, Tesla might be capable of 280 miles but recharging it is not as cheap as many think. Recharging a leaf after 280 miles is a different matter.
Over a year electricity costs are significant and firms almost have a monopoly on its supply.??? Perhaps changing supplier more easily must be an objective as and when EVs become more common.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
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I still don't know how it will work for me. Terraced house, no off road parking or garage. Lampost charging wouldn't work either - 'cos there are none!
There will be free standing street chargers, we've already had them in parts of London for several years. As the e-fleet expands, the chargers will arrive. However, we can't all convert to e-cars instantly, so the 75% nationally who can have a home charger is more than enough converting for many years yet.

In fact what the media don't seem to realise in their ignorance is that chargers have always lead the e-car sales. Fuel outlets in the UK have now dropped below 6000, while charge points are now well beyond 10,000 and increasing at a record pace. The main problem for a while is the gaps in charge point coverage.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,765
30,351
Recently read an article, now I cant find, saying that folk are beginning to look at real costs of running EV and not just issues around range.
Over a year electricity costs are significant and firms almost have a monopoly on its supply.??? Perhaps changing supplier more easily must be an objective as and when EVs become more common.
It has to be home charging for most and then the costs are not in any way significant. 200 mpg equivalent for example on night rate overnight charging. One supplier had a late night rate at half that, making for 400 mpg equivalent on a Leaf!

The costs of charging away from home will tumble as the charger fleet increases and competition sets in for the business, and that has already started. Today's high costs are almost entirely due to the high cost of installing a charger fleet with few cars using them.

Fast forward ten years and it will be very different, and meanwhile all we need to adopt e-cars are those who can home charge. That's half of all in London and three quarters nationally, more than enough to run out of new production of e-cars.
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mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
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Well I am going to get an electric car next time. I realised that all my car journeys are within the City and I just do not need a long range car because for long journeys I have a campervan which is also much more comfortable.
 
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Zlatan

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2016
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Well I am going to get an electric car next time. I realised that all my car journeys are within the City and I just do not need a long range car because for long journeys I have a campervan which is also much more comfortable.
I think quite a few have hit my threshold of acceptable range (220 miles) so think I, ll get one soon.
 

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