General Article Do governments dream of electric cars?

Topic Selected: Sustainable Transport
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Why? The argument seems to go something like this. Personal car use in the UK accounts for 13% of CO2 emissions, and is dependent on oil. We need an 80% cut in CO2 by 2050, and have an energy crisis looming. Reducing car use is too hard. Electric cars may, one day, be powered using nuclear energy. So let’s get investing.
The argument forgets that currently over three-quarters of the UK’s electricity comes from fossil fuels, and electric cars will remain heavily dependent on coal, gas and oil for some years to come.
And in an energy-constrained world, what’s the priority? Growing food, running hospitals, heating schools and homes, powering public transport – or an electric car fleet carrying 1.6 people a trip?
Let’s not forget that electric cars will not address the impact of busy roads on the liveability of our communities, or the fear of speeding traffic which has seen the number of children playing outside their front door drop from 75% in the 70s to 15% today. It will not address ...

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