Ev day

Charge your EV for free Today

Monday 9th September is World EV day. If you’re finding the start of the week tough, it may be made a little bit better today As RAW Charging in the U.K. are offering EV drivers to charge for free from selected sites. BP Pulse are also offering discounted rates across its U.K. charging station network. There are similar promotions in other countries, too.

I personally have not opted for an electric car. I do about 400 miles a year in my trusty, Economical and paid for Hatchback. It is now in its 11th year and I hope to keep it for 20. The carbon debt owing to embodied carbon from manufacture of a new car far outweighs the carbon benefit an electric car would offer me.

Evs have, however, come along way. The first Nissan Leaf in 2010 had a real world range of only 60 miles (autotrader). As an engineer, my work required extensive travel to remote sites off the beaten track and inaccessible by any kind of public transport, Especially the limited kind we unfortunately endure in this country. My annual mileage has been kept down by use of other forms of transport, including hiring electric cars when a car is necessary, car shares and travelling by train where possible. So are EVs a feasible vehicle for engineers today?

Social Pariah

Electric cars first came to my attention in 1985 when the Sinclair C5 Was unveiled to something of a fanfare. Neither of my parents could drive and we never owned a car as a family. The Sinclair C5 Seemed to offer a mobility solution to my mum and dad who experienced a form of social persecution from not being car drivers like our neighbours. History tells us that  C5 ownership would not have alleviated the peer pressure. That first early electric vehicle was also derided by society.

Then there was the EV1. Around the time I was graduating from university with an interest in environmental protection driven by my first experience of a motorway, The sight of which had dismayed me And caused me too change to a degree better suited to a career in environmental protection, General Motors launched The EV1. This electric car was designed from the ground up and quickly gained a cult following.

Celebrity Endorsement 

The year I began my PhD, Designing a treatment process To remediate contaminants in polluted water, Toyota launched the world’s first mass produced hybrid car worldwide.  The Prius found favour with Many celebrities Including Ryan Gosling and Cameron Diaz, Raising EV’s profile and desirability.

Acceptance and Recognition 

As I attained chartered status and accepted the Institute of chemical engineers water award, for implementing novel nitrate treatment technology , So a Silicon Valley start-up Announced the launch of Tesla. This new electric vehicle would have a range of 200 miles.

The Tesla Roadster was the first highway-legal serial production electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production all-electric car to travel more than 200 miles per charge.

Produced from 2008 to 2012 This two-seater sports car evolved from the Lotus Elise chassis.  Ironically the chassis of the Sinclair C5 had been designed by Lotus Cars. Had the public response to the C5 been warmer it would itself have been followed by series of more ambitious electric cars.

Success

4 Million Tesla cars have now been manufactured, Global sales of EVs have soared, and battery-electric vehicle sales grew by 40% from 2021 to 2022.

The cost of Electric vehicle batteries has dropped over the years. Renewable energy has made electricity from the grid more environmentally sustainable. EV charging stations based on renewable power have been slow In capturing a market share. But many do now exist, from Gridserve’s fullly renewable EV charging forecourts, to Papilio3’s  pop-up mini solar car park and EV charging hubs which can deploy 12 charge points in less than 24 hours. Tesla global supercharger network is powered by 100% renewables and octopuses Electroverse  indicates which public charges are supplied by 100% green energy.

The future

EVs continue to have a future. Charging networks are expanding, and solid batteries deliver greater range, faster charging times and longer battery life. 

Ultimately, the future requires us to invest In renewable powered Transport that is desirable and accessible for all. This must include electric trains, trams and buses that are so frequent, reliable and affordable that they become the transport selection of choice. 

Excellent examples exist throughout the world from Europe, Asia and America.

 Switzerland has trains to almost every town or village. Trains are very punctual and very clean. And all trains are interconnected, which means changing time is usually around 5-10 Minutes. The Swiss trains are also complemented by the excellent postal buses network that basically go to every single municipality. Fare integration and coordinated schedules are mandated in the whole country.

The Netherlands has an excellent public transport system.  It’s super bicycle friendly and trams existing a number of cities not just Amsterdam where the cities network of trains trams ferries and buses offered tremendous Valley for money . Yet it is Poland that Poland ranked the highest in number of trams with 3,373 vehicles, followed by Czech Republic and Romania. 

The Czech capital is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and its public transport network only adds to that. 96 percent of Prague locals said their city was easy to get around by public transport (Time Out).  And it’s not just convenient, it’s pretty spectacular too. Prague wouldn’t be Prague without the sight of a tram dashing in front of a Gothic church or Renaissance stunner – but the metro is even better, with three easy-to-use lines covering almost every part of the city.

Comfortable, safe and always on time, public transport in Berlin is a delight. 97 percent of Berliners praising their city’s transport network. Locals and travellers alike have been making the most of the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and buses for decades

New York has the most stations, Shanghai has the most track, but no public transport on the planet services as many people as the one found in Tokyo. Tokyo’s public transport is very popular, and covers an enormous area. It is brilliantly maintained and easy to use.

Denmark’s capital , Copenhagen Has a reliable system of trains, buses and waterbuses Everything can be paid for with one ticket.

Stockholm’s metro is so stylish it is known as the world’s longest art gallery. But aesthetics are just part of the package: public transport in Stockholm (also including trams, buses and ferries) is every bit as efficient as it is engaging.

public transport in Singapore is very much on the cutting edge of the modern world. all buses are wheelchair-accessible and allow strollers.

Montreal, Montreal. Canada’s second-largest city is a delight to explore, via the well-developed Montreal public transportation system. with the bus and the rubber-wheeled, modernist Métro humans under 11 travel for free.