THE VERY FACT THAT ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) wind Jeremy Clarkson up makes them interesting. Never a fan of electric cars, Clarkson recently managed, by a convoluted argument, to suggest that they were bad because they allowed other road users to out-accelerate a Lamborghini from the traffic lights without making a loud noise. But beguiling though their 0 to 30 rates are, EVs’ main appeal is environmental.
While it takes time to pay back the carbon emitted in producing the cars, given a green source of energy, EVs reduce the national carbon footprint. This has convinced the government of their worth: stopping the sales of petrol and diesel cars in 2030, and hybrids (which are about making people feel they’ve done their bit) in 2035. I’m convinced too and really want one of these cars. But there is a reality gap between the pricing of EVs and the amount most of us are realistically able to pay.
