A UK call for electric cars

Ex-government environment minister Michael Meacher writes in the Guardian that in the UK cars are still the fastest rising cause of greenhouse gas emissions - producing 38m tonnes a year - and look set to increase their lead as road traffic continues to grow by 2% a year. Meacher continues by writing

Yet there is no policy in place to get cars off the road to contain or reverse the trend. But this does not mean that the government's goal to cut emissions by 60% by 2050 is doomed. An obvious way out of the car impasse is to encourage a switch away from petrol-driven internal combustion engines to electric cars.

It has been well understood since the early 1990s that widespread adoption of plug-in electric drive technology could be practical. The only barrier to implementation was the lack of safe and affordable high-power batteries with a vehicle lifetime service rating. But now, as a result of materials innovations, high-power, long-life batteries that recharge in 10 minutes and can power electric plug-in vehicles and hybrids are being manufactured in the US.

Naturally, Meacher asks 'So why are electric cars not taking the market by storm?'

Good question...

Read in full 'The state holds the key to driving up electric car use'