The (very near) future of cars
You may have read in the news that from 2030 new cars and vans powered solely by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK. Many other countries are also adopting the same types of rules and car manufacturers are adapting their range of vehicles to match these new regulations.
Electric or hybrid?
Compared with a diesel/petrol vehicle, electric cars have a CO2 emission rate of about 50g/km. This figure should continue to go down as we produce greener electricity. The range of current electric cars is limited, the best electric cars have a range of about 350 miles, but with technological improvements this may increase. The number of locations with charging points at about 15,000 is also increasing monthly but the majority of these are not rapid charging points.
It seems likely for the foreseeable future we will use electric cars for shorter journeys around town but hybrid cars for long distance journeys. There is still time for the situation to change before we need to make a final decision.
Considering going electric?
If you are considering buying an electric vehicle, there is currently a government grant available for up to £2500 of the total cost.
You can learn which types of vehicle are eligible here:
For more information on electric cars, visit the Energy Saving Trust
