Europe charges ahead in electric car use as UK efforts fall flat

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Plans to equip every new or refurbished home in Europe with its own electric vehicle charging point have been announced in a draft European Union (EU) directive. But as Europe surges ahead with green transport solutions, the UK is falling behind because commitments to the number of ultra low emission vehicles on its roads are well below target.

The EU directive, designed to boost the electric car market, is due to come into force before the end of the year. It also states that by 2023 all new developments in the EU zone will require at least 10% of their parking spaces to have charge points.

For many people the perceived problems of short range, time spent recharging and limited charge points for electric cars are a big turn off. But the technology is constantly improving. Renault has just released an electric car with a 250 mile range, which will go a long way in allaying people’s fears. The increase in charge points is another turn on. Guillame Berthier, Renault’s sales director for electric cars, said…

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Dirty Diesel

Have you ever found yourself on a city street coughing or holding your breath as a diesel vehicle pulls away from a set of traffic lights ejecting behind it a bilious exhaust plume, leaving you wondering how that vehicle passed its MOT test? This sort of experience has been on the increase in the UK since Gordon Brown introduced the carbon dioxide (CO2) based company car taxation reform in 2002; diesel powered vehicles have been steadily increasing in number and have become a major portion of traffic on UK roads. Dangerous levels of exhaust pollutants, particularly in urban areas, have accompanied the rise in diesel vehicles. Janez Potocnik, the European Commissioner for Environment, said “Air is essential for our lives, we all have the right to breathe fresh air”, and in the UK we have a fight on our hands to ensure that right……..Read the rest of the article by clicking link below.

https://www.contributoria.com/issue/2015-06/551ba02642c12d9f0a00001a