Yes I agree there is a clear need for electric cars in some areas, as there is a clear need to reduce the use of fossil fuels or emiminate it entirely. EV's however have other impacts that are going to be difficult to overcome and manage and we just dont seem to be able to see it. Stop the production of high speed and high powered cars now. Its far more fundamental than that we don't need these things. This could be done tomorrow and would have an immediate impact of a substantive nature. One has to ask why we cannot do this as part of a proper stategy. When we finally get that waste is killing our world and do something the future will become better for those who will face it. Making and using stupidly overpowered and heavy vehicles is worse than anti social in the light of what we now know. While people have a choice they will continue to enjoy wreckless lifestyles, and ultimately why not. You dom expect national leaders to lead on imkportant and fundamental matters changing the future is in their hands much more than ours.
I look around my garden and there are quite a few trees and bushes I dont want. Years go by and they are still there for purely environmentl reasons. I don't know why I bother.
I think the lack of care from councils and police and government with things like MOTs plays a big part. I mean the amount of old diesels I see, where the owner thinks it's cool to allow the entire rear of the car to be completely black soot, and at every take off, a huge cloud of black smoke everywhere - stuff like that, why are they not policing it? Also, modifications that make the cars worse... we're in an age where police could have hand held devices that are able to plug in at the road side to a car and expose any cheating or dangerous / emissions heightening mods... straight on a recovery vehicle and scrap yard - and the beauty is, they could charge fines to fund it all and make a fortune whilst cleaning up half of the problems.
Instead, we have dreadful things like ULEZ which is enforced. Granted, in Central London, I see the point. Although it doesn't really phase the owners of the V12 supercars or Chelsea tractors in any case, more the working people that probably have no choice in many cases but drive there. I think expanding that is a huge finger up to working people if nobody else, what sort of attitude might they have now about eco initiatives having been fined multiple times per day just to get to work and drop the kids off, you know? It's all nonsense strategies which don't seem to be working to fix the problem anyway (by their own admission)
Because of BEVs, all cars are getting heavier and handling is getting poorer on all but the expensive makes. Visibility is getting worse. I was speaking to the tyre technician at NI's largest car franchiser site on Monday, he commented on my Michelin PS5 tyres and said "99% of the cars I see in here, even those getting their second set of tyres, are fitted with the nastiest Chinese tyres, absolute death traps - I wish more customers had your attitude", can you imagine how these extremely high powered, instant power BEVs will cope when they're in the hands of more consumers (who opt for cheap tyres) - imagine how they will affect accidents with other cars, pedestrians and property... the extra weight and crappy tyres can only result in more accidents.
I think national leaders do too many back handed deals to get where they are and then they are slaves to their 'friends' by the time they get into a position of power. Oh, and if they speak out or go against the grain, expect to read about some horrible scandal in the newspaper in the coming days, and protests for their resignation. Crazy - and we're not even the worst country on this topic! There are so many worse.
Look at the bright side though, I'm sure like myself, most people in your family, circles and work probably
do recycle, probably
do drive as carefully as possible, probably
do opt for doing things that care for the planet when they can , within reason. There's too much negativity online and in the media - sometimes it can get the blood pressure high. Sometimes best to just boil the kettle, sit back and realise you can only do your own little bit.
Btw, I wanted to trade my 05 Panda in 2016 for a bright orange example... I had the same reaction from family and friends (sadly!) haha Fiat committed to no more grey cars, so I look forward to seeing the new models in a full spectrum of non bland colours...
