Electric cars still a bit shite

Sheesh. Can peoiple not toyp? Incidentally trapsottr is Icelandic for toilet seat.

Bill

Well yes. But it's impossible to tax electricity specifically for road use. It can't be 'marked' in the same way as heating oil etc is to differentiate that from road fuel.

An interesting concept. Would you explain how my wife could visit her patients in the community by train (or are you going to employ twice as many nurses to allow for additional waiting and bus/walking time from house to house?) Or how I can get to work (generally not on a train route and before the first trains of the day run locally) with a workplace that moves from place to place so I cannot opt to live locally

- also considering that industries need flexible workforces to survive the ups and downs of the market while competing against foreign competition?

SteveW

So there were no towns before the motor car? You learn something new every day...

I used to do it a lot, but it wasn't a macho thing - it was the difference between away from home three nights a week and being able to do most site visits with an early start and no overnight stay, thus getting back to my wife and kids.

SteveW

So the HS2 uses significantly less energy than a small car (even per person)?

No electric car has a range anywhere near 600 miles on one charge. I was referring to a conventional car. And again that in the UK I doubt many drive 600 miles - or anywhere near it - without a stop.

Not having a car (for whatever reason) never stopped me getting to work.

Many have got used to having either heating or cooling working when the car is stationary. Indeed, AC is perhaps most needed in start stop traffic on a hot day.

Think I've paid it twice - despite living quite close to it. Nor would not having to pay it make it more likely I'd drive into it anyway - you'd still have to pay a fortune to park. And spend ages looking for a space.

I'd hope it takes a lot less than 5 seconds to start.

I used to welcome 3 nights away from the wife & kids :-)

Fit a device which measures electricity put into vehicle. Or taken from storage on vehicle for use. Make device report to HMRC. Such device being mandatory, becomes part of requirement for sale, MoT, etc. with readings regularly checked at services, tax disc time, etc. Even every traffic light. Maybe readings including location to provide a cross-check on likely electricity usage.

Penalty for non-compliance set such that the potential losses if caught, and the difficulty of avoiding being detected, make it a fairly secure tax raising system.

If none of your friends, neighbours or colleagues could help out (as their vehicles are also mostly discharged) and any public transport was many times over-loaded already, it can be very difficult.

I have failed to get to work through lack of a suitable vehicle in the prevailing circumstances.

No, but it's very simple to level a punitive rate if tax for consumption in excess of a given limit. Say we decide that the maximum permitted per household is 300 kWh per month and anything over that is taxed at 98p/kWH. That would sort out both excessive users[1] and electric car owners[1].

If an electric car owner can reduce use of domestic electricity to compensate for their use in a car good luck to them.

Occasionally it's a challenge :-)

If it's very overloaded it means plenty are managing to get around without a car. And would it be better to arrive at work slightly late - owing to not understanding the PT system than not at all? Although you could of course simply leave more time for the journey.

Not sure I'd be happy living somewhere which such total reliance on a car is essential.

Road pricing while removing tax on petrol etc seems to me a more practical way.

Nothing to stop you plugging into a neighbour's supply to charge your car if they don't have one - and pay them for the cheaper electricity.

Yes. Ever tried taking two disabled people anywhere by train?

Bill