Electric cruising


The Guardian on the electric car in Britain. Plug in hybrids and fully electric cars would be a great answer for towns, but the lack of off road parking where they can be charged is holding them back.

I’ve seen illuminated road signs and various other roadside devices that are solar and/ or wind powered. How hard would it be to create parking meters which were actually charging points, with solar panels on the top, batteries stored in the ground under them and a trickle feed from the mains for winter and overcast days? Electric car owners could pay a minimal amount to charge or be given pass keys, non-electric drivers would pay normal rates or be barred from them altogether. Another possibility would be placing windmills atop multi storey car parks and reserving a few spaces on the top level for replenishing electric vehicles.

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0 thoughts on “Electric cruising

  • NRT

    Yeah, but the zero-emissions claim is bogus at present. How is the electricity generated in the first place? I’m not sure using a different variety of fossil fuels (natural gas in a power station rather than petrol in the car) is that much of a saving! There’d still be CO2 emissions, just not from the car itself.

    If the electricity was from nuclear or wind sources, that’d be better.

  • MT

    doesn’t electricity from power stations get wasted off peak?
    recharging one’s milk float at night would stop that wastage!
    and i suspect that power stations are more efficient than car engines…