Everyone seems to be jumping on the ‘electric car’ bandwagon these days, from celebrities through to government – a lot of people seem to think volt powered vehicles are a good idea. However, it strikes me that few have actually considered how this will be supported via the national grid.
Every time winter comes around, with cold, dark nights comes higher heating bills, more lighting requirements and generally far higher demands on electricity than in the summer. We hear stories that the national grid is being pushed to breaking point – or very nearly anyway.
Fossil fuels remain old hat and yet that’s exactly how most of our electricity is derived – from coal, oil or gas that’s burned in order to generate the stuff that comes zinging along into our plug sockets. Nuclear power isn’t much of an answer due to the waste created and the inherent dangers.
Our electricity network is simply not set up to handle the task of powering many thousands of vehicles on the road that would be required if we were all suddenly to jump ship and go ‘green’. A far better answer in the short term is to keep electric cars in cities and perhaps lease them for the short term trips.
Ultimately, though much derided, the internal combustion engine is a fantastic creation and though not perfect, remains fantastically useful, potent and a great way to power our vehicles.
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