Every switch from a petrol or diesel to electric will make a positive difference to local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars are also superb to drive, cheaper to fuel and maintain and available secondhand at prices equal to (or less than) their ICE equivalents.
What’s the problem?
Domestic transport accounts for around 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and just over half of these emissions come from cars and taxis. Reducing the number of petrol and diesel (also known as ICE) cars is a key strategy for net zero and tackling the climate crisis.
What about total lifecycle emissions for an EV?
After just 3 years of use the cumulative lifecycle emissions of a medium-sized electric car are lower than for an ICE car (calculated by The International Energy Agency). Lifecycle emissions combine the emissions from manufacturing the vehicle (which tend to be higher for electric versus ICE cars), powering the vehicle through its life (which are lower for electric cars) and decommissioning the batteries at the end of their life.
Where does the electricity come from?
National Grid Live tells us that in the last year 36.6% of the electricity used in the UK was generated from renewables vs 29.5% from fossil fuels. 30% of electricity came from wind alone!
Are electric cars here to stay?
The ban on new ICE cars comes into effect in 2030. Fully electric cars with lithium batteries have been on UK roads for 15 years – there are now 1.4 million registered. Hydrogen is inefficient to produce and complex to transport and store making lithium batteries the most practical and best alternative to petrol and diesel right now and for the foreseeable future.
Is the charging infrastructure ready?
There are over 38,000 EV charging locations across the UK including 14,500 rapid charging points. This compares with around 8,000 petrol stations. In 2024 legislation was introduced requiring 99% reliability, imposing penalties on networks that do not properly maintain their chargepoints. A free to use helpline staffed 24/7 (including all national holidays) must also be provided along with the ability to make contactless payments. In the past public charging has been patchy but the rapid charging network for pitstops is now well developed, well maintained and reliable. Best place to check it out is zap-map.com