The Cost of Electric Charging Points

[Harvey1512]

The govt have announced money is to be offered towards charging points for electric cars. They will pay 75% of the cost. A point in a street that can charge 2 cars costs £10k to install and a rapid charge point at a railway station for example costs £45k, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21503532

When you look at the costs of charging points, the high costs of the cars and the limited capabilities of these styles of cars is this just not a waste of money when we are supposedly in austere times and cutbacks are being made elsewhere? Opinions welcomed. Does anyone think that subsidising electric cars and charging points is a good use of public money?

I thought this was a motoring discussion point but if anyone thinks it ought to go in the Lounge then please transfer this across.

[tt82]

Personally I wonder where will we get all the electricity to power these electric cars. Nuclear seems to be the best option but it's not a popular one. Certainly "Green" power isn't capable of producing enough reliable enrgy to sustain the demand, and burning fossil fuels to power electric cars seem illogical.

For the political side of the arguement, it does seem a bad idea to push an expensive and not wholly useable technology when times are hard. Yet I can't help but see all the cars on the road and wonder when will all the oil run out? Perhaps it's a case of if we don't invest it now, when we do have the money to invest the oil will have allready run out.

[S70 B5254T]

Considering that most of the UK's electricity is still produced through the burning of fossil fuels and the associated pollution, and also that the production and cross-continental shipping of the batteries alone creates more CO2 than an old banger kept on the road for decades, I'd say that the whole concept is a white elephant.

[The Thong]

Yea..... I watching the news this morning which was reporting on less power stations due to Environmental reasons..... Is there going to be enough sparks left over to charge all these electric cars as well??

TT

[subaqua]

we have nowhere near enough capacity for all the electricity needed for the charging.

just the forecast demand for internet usage ( data centres) in a decade is 110% more than the total capacity we had a decade ago . yet we have Nimbys complaining .

£10k is down to the charges from the utility companies- this will eventually come down but not until there has been significant investment by central governmment in the network which is creaking along. a "super sub" i worked on at the start of my career 25 yrs ago, that was "future proofing the supply for 50 Yrs" is now over capacity and needs to be replaced. thats why the charges are so high-investment into the future before blackouts becomne the norm as the network falls over with the demand.



we have just replaced 5 transformers and the associated HV equipment on a project going from 1MVA to 1.5MVA for each Tx , thats 2.5 times extra. lotys of existing offices are at capacity and its only going to get worse

i am truly scared.

[Marty Dolomite]

Why should we the tax payer fund anothers life style choices?
According to the greenies electric cars will save the planet due to no emmissions thats of course untill 5-6 years time when the owners will be scrapping the cars because the cells die and replecing them costs more than a new car which leads to the EU battery mountains as new goverment solar/wind powered 9because of the lack of electric) recycling facilities can not keep up with demand.

Proven fact kepping an old car on the road is far more eco friendly than building a new car.