Why plans for a nationwide roll out of electric cars over the next decade are stalling

THEY are the silent, state-of-the-art motors that many experts believe will save the planet.

But plans for a nationwide roll out of electric cars are stalling — due to high costs, lack of plug points and poor battery life.

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Plans for a nationwide roll out of electric cars are stalling due to high costs, a lack of charging points and poor battery life[/caption]

Of the 38.7million vehicles licensed for use on British roads, just 223,000 are electric cars.

And without billions spent on a national network of car chargers, the man on the street won’t buy into them, experts have warned today.

This comes in the same week as the announcement that drivers of electric cars in the UK may soon be using green number plates.

Stuart Masson, editor of motor finance advice site thecarexpert.co.uk, said: “We all want to be greener but an electric car is just an expensive ornament if you can’t charge it up.

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Experts are now warning that unless charging points become more accessible, the average person won’t buy into electric cars[/caption]

“For people to use them every day, we need to be able to plug in at the cinema, when we pop in to the supermarket, or when we get home from work.

“This becomes even more of a problem in areas of high-density living. I can’t see people trailing an extension cable out of a tenth-storey window.

“Without a comprehensive fast-charging network, it is almost impossible for electric cars to move into the mainstream. Something has to change dramatically.”

Despite the charging issues, from a cost point of view, now is a good time to go electric.

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Stuart Masson says that ‘without a comprehensive fast-charging network, it is almost impossible for electric cars to move into the mainstream’[/caption]

While in the past cars ranged from £40,000 upwards, Masson says you can now find deals on used ones for under £10,000, and in the next 12 months, launches of new models will make them accessible to all.

Most models can now go around 200 miles per charge, but high-end models can run for nearly 400 miles.

The cost of charging depends on the size of the battery. It would cost £30 to take a Tesla Model S from empty to full at a public point in the UK.

But it’s around £8 to charge at home and £6.50 for a rapid 30-minute charge in public.

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However from a cost point of view, now is a good time to go electric as you can find good deals on used ones[/caption]

Some supermarkets offer free public charge points. But drivers appear yet to be convinced. Recharging is still a major concern.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “We have rescued a number of people who have run out of charge on roads, fortunately not motorways, all over Britain.

“We recently surveyed 20,000 of our members and the top three concerns they have about buying an electric car are: the initial purchase cost, the vehicle’s range and concerns about charging infrastructure.

“While there are plans to include charging points in street lights, there are still question marks over how everyone will charge vehicles.

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According to Jack Cousens, the major three concerns drivers have are ‘the initial purchase cost, the vehicle’s range and concerns about charging infrastructure’[/caption]

“The feedback we are getting is that people feel it’s still too expensive to switch. The now-discontinued  grants for plug-in hybrids were a gateway to full EV ownership, but now people are holding on to their old, polluting vehicles. So there’s still a lot to be done.”

Mr Masson added: “The bottom line is, if the Government wants us to buy them, and not be left trailing in the wake of China, then it needs to step on the gas.”

So for now, it seems, the end of the traditional car is still an electric dream.

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