How electric cars became a battleground in the culture wars (a not so great piece by the guardian)

[Mr Gus]

"In the UK the former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg this week wrote that Ulez was designed to “to stop the young and poor from driving”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... e-wars-evs

(like he has a damned clue about being poor, & by association is about as disconnected as you can get in his stately pile & attitude)

Add this to the mix...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -tells-mps

For clarity, what is the % reduction of pollutants just by having a pure BEV? ..otherwise this could become rabid, sometimes you can only go so far in a clean up, & more taxation on vehicles is going to serve as another hurdle for BEV uptake as is,

Yes tyres are polluting, BEV tyres are typically more expensive, so more tax / vat paid, ...a tyre pollution tax on the horizon? ..the fickleness if so, why wasn't it introduced years back then!? desperate to claw more tax ..the govt are not exactly green so I'd view them saying anything to the contrary as BS in the first instance (as noted by sunak's wet squib response to ULEZ ..a typical opposing view to keep any division hard & fast.

[Yuff]

I can’t say, with free chargers, tax breaks etc how EVs are more expensive if you drive new/ish vehicles anyway.
I have just bought the kids a Fiat 500e which 18 months old was half price from new. Had the discussion, with SHMBO, who wanted a manual car so they could drive manuals in the future, but having had EVs for over 3 years I did not see the point.
I just don’t get the argument that ICEs aren’t the way forward. It reminds me of the smoking lobbyists and no doubt no vaping, of users wanting to hold on to it.
EVs are the way forward and governments should make that change as easy as possible, financially and day to day usage.
Don’t get me wrong the sound of a sporty engine is fantastic, experiencing that a lot currently on numlties putting their foot down for 20m at a time on Rodeo drive, but it’s not the way forward. It does make me chuckle every time they do it and the G wagon that is constantly driving round in a circle whilst she is on her phone texting……….

[Mr Gus]

& there's the rub Yuff, AUTOMATIC learner cars are very much the minority, then if you say BE automatic that percentile vanishes!

Took us forever to find an automatic instructor with space on his books, no ev instructors round here, (& the whole DVLA system for learners is a crap-shoot ongoing since covid.

A whole new level of "not ready for BEV" unless your parents get you into a pre-existing vehicle.

[Yuff]

& there's the rub Yuff, AUTOMATIC learner cars are very much the minority, then if you say BE automatic that percentile vanishes!

Took us forever to find an automatic instructor with space on his books, no ev instructors round here, (& the whole DVLA system for learners is a crap-shoot ongoing since covid.

A whole new level of "not ready for BEV" unless your parents get you into a pre-existing vehicle.

Fortunately the driving instructor I used to fight with for the free public charger, had availability, but he didn’t until I mentioned I was the driver who used to nab the free charger.
He was fully booked up for 6 months.

[Mr Gus]

Rarer than a bigfoot sighting!

There will always be "one"

[AGT]

I agree with Mr Mogg, those who can’t afford are penalised.

Scotland introducing some of these daft schemes soon.

[Mr Gus]

Like what exactly?

(Scotland.has / had a loan systemto get folk including the ypung into / onto EV be it mopeds, motorbikes or car varia ts, doesnt seem so daft does it)?

[Mart]

Is it really daft to try to fight AGW and localised air pollution as quickly as possible?

[AGT]

Like what exactly?

(Scotland.has / had a loan systemto get folk including the ypung into / onto EV be it mopeds, motorbikes or car varia ts, doesnt seem so daft does it)?

No idea about any loan system Mr Gus.
Mopeds- sorry not a form of transport I consider safe along with motorbikes so son won’t be getting one of them, need a all year solution
Not sure what a car varia ts is?

So effectively a small car, and diesels of certain ages and petrol of certain ages aren’t allowed in the city centre…

[AGT]

Is it really daft to try to fight AGW and localised air pollution as quickly as possible?

No not daft, but not one I want as a personal priority.

But I would rather they prioritised improving the existing building stock to reduce gas/ electricity consumption which would again improve the lives of millions those on low incomes/young people starting out/ older people with less income/ anyone


Rather than the same people who have to struggle to get to work in older cars get penalised.

They could stop the MCS bandwagon on heat pump installs and see normal prices without the £5K handout too.

I would also like to see the return of subsidies for internal insulation, supported by the energy companies for everyone who want to take this on board.

Lots to add, but typing on a phone so will stop for now.