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Belfast charges ahead with plug-in-and-go electric cars
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Electric cars could be commonplace on the streets of Belfast in the not too distant future.
The city is gearing up to become one of the first places in the UK to introduce the green initiative.
If a Northern Ireland bid is successful, charging points could be dotted around Belfast to pioneer plug-in cars.
Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: “We are also looking at the potential for Belfast to bid to be one of the six UK cities to plug in electric cars.
“That would create an opportunity for Northern Ireland to further develop the electric car industry.”
Some 11,000 charging points for electric cars are to be built in London, Milton Keynes and north-east England over the next three years, supported by £30m of Government money for the Plugged-In Places Scheme.
Three consortia will install charging points at locations such as supermarkets, public car parks and domestic streets.
A second wave of Plugged-In Places will follow later this year, with the West Midlands, Cornwall and Greater Manchester already confirmed bidders.
Mr Poots said: “The real benefit of an electric car is that it can be plugged in at night.
“And because that energy is being produced at night, it has a carbon neutral effect.”
He added: “Ultimately, the way forward for transportation in the United Kingdom will be that many more electric cars will use renewable energy and will not have the damaging impact on the environment that combustible engines have.”
Mr Poots said that Northern Ireland is working to drive up the amount of renewable energy which it uses.
The Government has also announced plans to subsidise the purchase of plug-in cars.
Buyers will be able to claim 25% of the up-front cost — capped at £5,000 — from the start of next year.
The full list of cars that will fall under the subsidy has yet to be fixed but it is likely to include the PSA models, the Vauxhall Ampera, which is due for launch in early 2012, and Toyota's next-generation plug-in Prius.
Pros and cons of volt vehicles
The advantages:
- Environmentally friendly
- Car tax exemption
- Faster acceleration
- Are considerably quieter than petrol and diesel engine cars
- Government plans to |introduce buying incentives:
Disadvantages
- Cars are expensive
- More expensive to run than conventional car
- Batteries can take up to seven hours to charge
- Few places to charge them
- Certain batteries can overheat, causing a fire risk
- Text Size
@Michael
A new tyre uses 22 gallons of oil which is half a barrel, not 5 barrels. All cars, electric or not, need tyres. The manufacture of electric cars however favours lighter frames with less materials than conventional motors.
Electric vehicles are normally charged at night when electricity production is not being used anyways (Powerplants are still running). Also renewable energy is set to grow drastically as noted by ATM. Furthermore, carbon from electricity generation can be 'captured' at source or offset in ways which are impossible with combustion engine emissions.
I think you miss the fundamental point: electric cars are not 100% green or carbon-neutral. But they are GREENER! Their adoption is a necessary step in the right direction, despite all the sceptics trying to shout them down.
Posted by Tom | 13.04.10, 00:03 GMT
It makes sense for Belfast and NI to have charging points for electric vehicles. The Republic is aiming to have 10% electric vehicles by 2020, the rollout of charging points having already commenced. Without the infrastructure on this side of the border, there'll be a huge carpark in Newry!
Posted by Edwin | 12.04.10, 23:47 GMT
Why doesn't Belfast City Council encourage more people to use bicycles like other major cities in Europe? That is a truly green initiative - that was also help keep us fit and healthy. Yet there is little or no provision for cycling. Cycling in Belfast is currently very dangerous. Where are the cycle paths? Where are the areas to lock bikes? We could also employ a few people in a bike-rental scheme - again like other cities in Europe. Introducing electric cars is not 'a green initiative' - as Michael points out below. The environment correspondent should know better.
Posted by Tim | 05.03.10, 03:37 GMT
Oh dear more looney climate change nuttyness, I dont think this will save too many polar bears.
Posted by Gary | 04.03.10, 22:32 GMT
Erica,
You are very right: the Grid, for the moment, can only take a fairly small number of these vehicles compared to the 1,024,396 vehicles currently licensed in NI. However if we are to meet our renewable energy obligations the current grid system needs to be made more robust. Would you agree that it would be more cost effective to include the three phase supply that is necessary for transport as part of this necessary grid upgrade, rather than do the upgrading for renewables and then again for transport?
As for Carbon Monoxide emissions - this really does depend on how you make you electricity – for info on that please see my response to Michael.
Currently 85% of our total transport miles are made by car with 25% of car journeys being under 2 miles – Nearly a quarter of all adults in the UK are obese - so perhaps what we actually need is a change of altitudes to transport. Or perhaps we should just change into a good pair of walking boots?
Posted by ATM | 04.03.10, 17:41 GMT
Michael, I think I can save you the bother of asking Minister Poots these questions!
Currently between 8 and 12% of the electricity that comes out of your plug is made using renewable sources -with a potential of 40% renewables on track for 2020!
If the “average” car does 12,000 miles a year an EV will cost on average £115 to charge, a petrol engine (40mpg) will be more like £1,500 for a year in fuel (£1.10 per liter) – the finance speaks for itself!
I do however agree with you, we need to recycle the car to get the energy we have "invested" in it back a lot better. But thankfully the wasteful days of the past are behind us and the recycling of cars is now becoming more common as the legislation on waste disposal becomes more robust.
I don’t think we should look at this is a final solution to our transport woes – just the first step!!!!
Posted by ATM | 04.03.10, 17:21 GMT
Michael is correct in his post. Abandon that idea for now and either prioritise getting people back into public transport or upgrade the road network. Roads in NI are both lethal to users by their configuration (just upgraded horse tracks in reality) and lethal to car suspensions by their low quality (see earlier comment re upgraded horse tracks).
Posted by DM | 04.03.10, 15:59 GMT
What do you mean the batteries can overheat? You know something we don't? Should there be a mass recall?
Posted by Dotell | 04.03.10, 13:46 GMT
Must try harder.
Posted by Green Giant | 04.03.10, 13:44 GMT
It beggars belief that someone would post in the Cons section of this article: More expensive to run than conventional car .... the reality is that electric car running costs are up to 80% less than conventional cars!!! Then we have the other stated disadvantge: Certain batteries can overheat, causing a fire risk...... mmmm this no doubt is stated because laptop lithium batteries have caught fire .... however lithium ion is not the same as lithium and this fire hazard is simply not the case in reality. By the way the fumes from a cup full of petrol is enough to destroy a house ..... mmmmmm If you want to see these myths destroyed go to MyElectricCar.com.au where the research has been done.
Posted by Electric Leo | 04.03.10, 12:23 GMT
aside from the points already mentioned, how is producing electricity at night carbon neutral, somehow i don't think that switching the devices on after dark are going to help reduce carbon footprints...well expect they'll be harder to see.
if that was the case we'd all be awake at night, and sleep during the day!
Posted by alex | 04.03.10, 11:15 GMT
Green issue aside, do the Executive really think that the people of Northern Ireland will buy into this.
Efforts to get people out of cars and into public transport have failed despite the introduction of bus lanes, litter is blowing about the streets of Belfast like no other city I have seen - the vast majority of people really don't seem to care in this country. This is why they vot efor MLAs that don't even believe there is such a thing as global warming or evolution.
I really hope Belfast doesn't win his bid and it goes to a more deserving city were people are more likely to support the initiative
Posted by Gwrinkle | 04.03.10, 08:42 GMT
Should help improve the air quality in the city centre though.
Posted by She's electric | 04.03.10, 08:24 GMT
Electric cars are not environmentally friendly. This is a ridiculous article. Even the WWF admits that any carbon monoxide reductions would be tiny. Also, think of the strain on the grid if everyone was charging their 'motors'. A little research please!
Posted by Erica | 04.03.10, 06:51 GMT
Linda, as the Tele environment correspondent, perhaps you can explain to us how electric cars are a "green initiative". Where does the electricity come from to power these cars? Isn't it from power stations that burn fossil fuels? What energy is used in production of the car? Isn't oil, used to make the materials, needed to construct the car? I believe over seven barrels of oil are needed to make one tyre. Don't these cars have tyres? The interior of the vehicles are made mostly from plastic. Again made from oil. Please explain to us how electric cars are 'green' and how this can be described as a green initiative. Perhaps you could put these questions to Mr Poots?
Posted by Michael | 04.03.10, 06:10 GMT