Electric Car Progress, or lack of.

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,760
30,348
Just heard on radio that some 60,000 cars were sold in Britain last month, only 34 of them full electric, despite all the earlier hype and the choice of 7 main makes of them on the market now.

Apparently only 812 of them have been sold altogether since the government started subsidising them some while ago.

Under the latest plans the government have pledged £400 million to aid their introduction, £150 million for infrastructure like charging points and £250 million for direct subsidy to buyers.

The most favourable independent study reports that a typical buyer will still be out of pocket by £5000 after four years use against an ic car, and with replacement battery coming due then, at over £14000 each in one case (Nissan Leaf). The less favourable Low Energy Trust study reports break-even with ic will take 20 years on the same e-car.

I think I was right recently in forecasting the majority will still be driving fossil fuel cars decades into the future. I can't see many wanting to pay this sort of money and being satisfied to keep the same baby e-car for 20 years, especially when the limitations are considered. Long journey? Forget it! Tow a caravan or boat? No chance! Carry four with all their luggage and a couple of bikes on the back to go on holiday or tour? Only in your dreams!

Just think what that £400 million subsidy could have done for e-bike sales!
 

eTim

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 19, 2009
607
2
Andover, Hants.
Just think what that £400 million subsidy could have done for e-bike sales!
Yes, could have made all ebikes under £1,000 for thousands of sales, flooding the streets with happy ebike riders!
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,760
30,348
Indeed Tim, and the success of e-bikes as with so many things is about critical mass.

Once the unadventurous and risk averse majority see large numbers of people adopting something new, they too get the courage to take the crucial step. Heavily subsidising a trebling or quadrupling of e-bike usage initially could see it multiply to 10 or 100 times present levels due to this effect.
 

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,627
Subsidizing e-bikes to that extent, particularly if UK manufacturers got on the band waggon, would have a huge benefit for the UK.
No doubt, large usage would also lead to improvements in batteries and motors, with the obvious spin off that electric cars would become more feasible.
BUT, as it stands, fuel taxation is very important to the government. Any huge take up in e-cycling would reduce the tax take from fuel, and we all know what the government will do about that, don't we.
 

Bikerbob

Pedelecer
May 10, 2007
215
0
Isle of Man
I agree flecc. Its particularly disappointing here in the Isle of Man as the usual problem of range wouldn't be an issue for us - at least for cars that are not be taken off-island. As you say, the problem is that the initial purchase price is prohibitive. Bring down the prices and they would be big sellers here.
 

Advertisers