The drain strain

Whilst I can see that electric vehicles may have a role to play in displacing pollution from cities like London to places like Didcot and Ferrybridge, I think we need to question whether or not these vehicles...

Can I recommend Garmendale Engineering to build solar-powered buggies for your correspondent PM?

With reference to PM's request to find someone to build buggies for National Trust properties, could I recommend Garmendale Engineering Ltd. of Ilkeston, Derbyshire? (www.garmendale.co.uk). Amongst other...

Calculating EV emissions

I was considering buying an electric car (EV), but couldn’t find any site on the Internet to tell me what the total CO2 emissions were for these vehicles. So, as an engineer, I did it myself. For diesel...

Can you inform your readers of this EU directive relating to claimed 'zero emissions' electric cars?

One point that may be of interest to you is the 2005 EU Consumer Practices Directive incorporated into UK law in 2008 (Ref: 2005/29/EC). As I understand it, within your context, it means that any commercial...

Assault on battery

I'm confused with all the data one reads in the newspaper regarding battery driven cars. These are the facts that I have read. Are they correct? 1.Price £20,000 to £30,000 2.To renew batteries £8,000...

Do people realise that lithium ion batteries, of the sort used in electrical cars, can be very damaging to the environment?

A lot is being made of lithium ion battery cars and hybrids, but there seems to be a stumbling block on range and cost, and probably on environmental grounds. Lithium is one of the world’s most polluting...

Why are electric vehicles referred to as 'zero electric'?

Why do all manufacturers insist on referring to electric cars as "Zero Electric" when quite blatantly they are not? Very misleading I think.

Can you recommend an English company that makes milk floats or small electric vehicles?

Maybe you can point me in the right direction with this one, please. I drive a buggy at my local National Trust property, taking people to and from The House & Ticket Office. We use a standard 6-seater...

How does the use of electrical appliances in an electric car affect the vehicle's range?

I am a regular reader of your excellent columns in the Telegraph, however, the following points do not seem to have been covered. Nothing appears to have been said in the media about the effect of operating...

Is the Nissan Leaf likely to be discounted soon?

I’m interested in the Nissan Leaf and have been quite impressed by a test drive. The price keeps going up though, and I’m concerned I pay a fair price for it and don’t get caught paying over the odds only...