Forced sale of electric cars - BBC News 21/09/2023

[Haliotis]

“Car firms will still be forced to meet strict quotas for selling electric cars despite the ban on new petrol and diesel cars being delayed.         

From January, just over a fifth of vehicles sold must be electric, with the target expected to be 80% by 2030.           The government confirmed the policy would remain even though Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the petrol and diesel ban would be moved to 2035.

Cars that fail to hit the quotas could be fined £15,000 per car.”

So, if this kind of Draconian measure is to be aimed at the car sellers, what insidious ideas might the government have in mind to force motorists to ditch their ICE cars in favour of EVs?  There will be many car owners whose ICE cars are necessary because EVs will not be able to meet the working demands for their vehicles.  Two simple examples are where the car has to tow a caravan of a horse box.  The extra load would bring the range of an EV right down, and practicalities make towing with an EV unworkable. Don’t expect a biased government to see reason.

If quotas remain stubbornly not met, will the next step be to ban the sale of used cars (trade or private), or to raise fuel taxes and/or road tax to crippling increases?  Can a government - any government - intoxicated with Net Zero be trusted not to apply Nanny State tactics that are more in keeping with Communist Bloc countries?

[Yugguy1970]

Awesome, if they're going to get fined 15k a car, knock 10k of the exorbitant list price instead and everyone's a winner 🤣

[Haliotis]

With all the misgivings that have been raised about EVs, I would have thought the best way to test the viability of the mass market was by allowing the gradual increase in EVs to assess the possibility of developing problems, and to be able to deal with these in controlled and technology-based manner.

Government’s knee-***** reactions by making mandatory decisions which are reliant on technology catching up is simply not the way do do things.

Also, the suggested penalties for car dealerships not meeting targets is more likely to panic car makers into prematurely  introducing unproven technologies with disastrous consequences.  Companies responsible for providing the supported infrastructure would be in a similar situation.

[Mushu84]

To be honest, I test drove about 5 electric cars, I would had switched, but the ridiculous high price keeps me away 

For my life style would be great to have one hybrid, one electric

I still hope new cars will come, prices will go down, newer technology (solid state Battery, C'MON TOYOTA), better charging times. I really want to buy an electric but not pay more then a price for a normal car, also I want a smaller car, I don't need a SUV 

 

I think the first company to build an electric normal size hatchback or city car (electric Yaris maybe 🤪 ) with all normal options included (cruise, auto AC, Android auto/apple car play) and skipping the options that nobody cares about (over 2 displays, different then normal plastics and other stupid options), a range of 250-300 miles with charging times of max 15-20 min (fast charging) to make it usable in real life, and a price between 20-25 k max, will sell like candy. Also not from China.

The charging infrastructure need to be improved and available anywhere you park/stop, to be normal to charge your car, not to feel like is special task.

 

[Haliotis]

When I towed a caravan I looked at a Kia Sportage PHEV hybrid.  It would pull the caravan, but would go solely onto petrol within a few short miles.  Looking at how congested M-way service stations can be at busy times, I thought about the problems of a considerable number of towing outfits competing for room to recharge, and promptly dismissed the idea of any form of EV.

I do now have a hybrid (C-HR), but am going over from a caravan to a motor caravan, which will be diesel.  The thoughts of towing at all with an EV gives me the shivers, and I am concerned that the government, in their haste to get ICE vehicles off the road, will not give any consideration  to instances where an EV is not practical.

Having owned two diesel vehicles with Euro 6 engines, and run them in confined spaces, I have been impressed by how clean they were.  To make such vehicles even cleaner, all that is required is for them to be fitted with receptacles to collect particulates that are emptied during servicing.

[Shared]

36 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

When I towed a caravan I looked at a Kia Sportage PHEV hybrid.  It would pull the caravan, but would go solely onto petrol within a few short miles.  Looking at how congested M-way service stations can be at busy times, I thought about the problems of a considerable number of towing outfits competing for room to recharge, and promptly dismissed the idea of any form of EV.

I do now have a hybrid (C-HR), but am going over from a caravan to a motor caravan, which will be diesel.  The thoughts of towing at all with an EV gives me the shivers, and I am concerned that the government, in their haste to get ICE vehicles off the road, will not give any consideration  to instances where an EV is not practical.

Having owned two diesel vehicles with Euro 6 engines, and run them in confined spaces, I have been impressed by how clean they were.  To make such vehicles even cleaner, all that is required is for them to be fitted with receptacles to collect particulates that are emptied during servicing.

I can imagine it now, at a motorway services ..

"That's a nice caravan mate, where you off to ?"

"I'm not off to anywhere, the caravan is somewhere to kip while I wait to recharge the car" 

[Haliotis]

How long is the average charging bay. With an outfit of 35 feet long plus - can be over 40 feet with a large estate and twin axle caravan - where is the van going to sit whilst the car is charging?  And if the bay is not a drive-in/drive-out one, it could cause real problems with impatient drivers whilst one is reversing out of a bay.   And what about a family with three kids to be kept entertained - and a dog? Reckon the EV charging units will need to be fitted with tranquilliser dispensers!!!

[Bper]

What about the infrastructure to charge the EVs, for a UK wide EV charging structure it will take decades and that's before the numerous nuclear power stations and nation grid system is upgraded to cope.

No one talks about the cost of this and how this money will be raised.

[Big_D]

3 hours ago, Bper said:

No one talks about the cost of this and how this money will be raised.

It's probably being raised in the extortionate prices we are currently paying for fuel.

[Haliotis]

One thing that has always infuriated me is the attitude of governments and local authorities to the need to go careful with our cash.   On the one hand, we (Joe Public) are told not to expect large, if any, pay rises and to patiently accept our current earnings BUT, on the other hand, authority raises charges and claim this is in line with current inflation.  This hides the fact that Authorities may not need to make increases as high as inflation, and perhaps not to increase charges at all if they [Authorities] followed their own message and exercised careful budgets.

As for the costs associated with infrastructure to accommodate EVs, you only need to consider HS2 and past projects to appreciate how costs soar wildly from initial stated budgets, so will this latest fiasco be any different?