In a scheme costing around £25m, the UK government is set to provide the people of Britain with a chance to test and develop the practicality of introducing electric cars to the UK's roads. With the trial taking place in the major UK hubs of London, Glasgow and Birmingham, it will prove to be a real chance to test and assess the future of electric car manufacture.
With just over a fifth of carbon emissions in the UK coming from the transport sector, the scheme is being touted as a perfect chance to revolutionise and develop the industry, whilst making provisions for key carbon emissions cuts ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. The UK's Science Minister, Paul Drayson, has championed the scheme, stating the electric car trial is,
"An opportunity to position the UK as a world leader in the adoption of this technology by supporting the largest ever trial of such vehicles...that encourages companies working in this field to do their research and development here. That knowledge generated by the trial then gets fed back to the follow-on systems that come through."
In each of the locations, a number of cars, by one manufacturer, will be made available. In Oxford, the BMW Mini-E is being used for the scheme, whilst in Glasgow, 40 Peugeot battery powered cars will roam the streets for the whole of 2010. With the scheme lasting for one year, universities and local government branches in the chosen areas will assess the practical and environmental impact of the electric cars, which it is hoped can be taken nationwide upon the success of the trial.
With 100 Mercedes smart cars also being put forward in London, the scheme is diverse in both geography and manufacture.
The scheme, understandably, has attracted much optimism, but warning bells are also ringing, with Friends of the Earth, amongst others, arguing that the UK must also look at the green quality of its electricity. Their transport campaigner, Tony Bosworth, stated that
"Ministers must boost the UK's flagging renewable energy industry because electric vehicles are only as green as the power they run on. Low-carbon vehicles are certainly needed, but we need broader changes to make the necessary cuts in transport emissions. Urgent action is needed to get people out of their cars by making public transport, cycling and walking more attractive options."
As train prices have risen in the last year, it could be argued that New Labour's policy of part-privatisation has driven the government to a point in which such a scheme has proved necessary, as public transport loses its viability.
Posted under Articles, Environmental News
This post was written by Chris Woolfrey on June 23, 2009
