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Clean simplicity?

Do you have a view on electric vehicles?

Asked on 3 July 2010 by WH, Teddington

Answered by Honest John
Yes, a strong one. My view is that they are the most appropriate vehicles for short runs from cold starts. So for the disabled, for shopping, for city centre and suburban use, for city taxis, because starting an internal combustion engine to drive a short distance is extremely inefficient and creates the most damage to the engine and its systems and the most pollution. So far, electric cars are completely useless for long distances, where IC petrol and diesel engines are far more efficient, bearing in mind power generation from current power stations that are 90% coal or oil fired in the UK. Though Renault is developing ‘Quickdrop’ stations where discharged electric car batteries can be swapped for fully charged ones in just 3 minutes.
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