Taking charge: to meet transport's carbon-reduction targets, we must find a substitute for longer journeys or change our travelling behaviour, says Peter Young

摘要

Electric vehicles (EVs) now feature frequently in both the mainstream media and technical press. You will, however, see few on the streets as there were only slightly more than 1,000 ultra-low-carbon vehicles registered in 2010 and there are probably more public charging posts than there are vehicles currently. Through my role on the CABLED project I have had access to electric vehicles for more than a year now. I am currently using an electric Smart Fortwo and have also driven a Mitsubishi i-MiEV and a Citroen C1 Ev'ie with induction power charging, My experience has been a positive one. EVs are fun to drive and I have effortlessly substituted the EV for our diesel saloon on journeys of less than about 40 miles. You quickly leam which journeys are suitable and where charging points are, and allowing for these factors becomes a 'normal', almost subconscious part of journey planning.