By Julia Waterlow of TTL
Driverless cars – part of a low carbon future
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are already upon us but many questions remain about how dramatically they might impact our lives. How do you feel about them and how much do you really know about the technology? Will they mean less air travel? How safe will they be, who should control the algorithms that control the AVs and how will employment be affected? These are just a few of the dilemmas we hope to discuss.
Below is a link to an introductory video that you might like to look at beforehand. It makes some of the more bold claims about the impact of AVs and the evening’s session will invite people to question what they really think will happen.
You might like to do some research beforehand, or just turn up on the evening and take it from there.
Please contact Julia at juliacwaterlow@hotmail.com if you have any questions.
Lewes’ first Electric Car Show attracts 400 visitors
The inaugural Lewes Electric Car Show held on Saturday 21 April was a huge success, attracting around 400 members of the public.
In total 13 electric and hybrid cars were on display at the event hosted by Transition Town Lewes and Ovesco, the community energy company. Models included the Tesla S, the Nissan Leaf, the Hyundai Ioniq, Renault Zoe, Kia Soul and Smart Car, plus other cars by BMW, Toyota and Mitsubishi.
Visitors were able to quiz the owners about the practicalities of owning and driving an electric car and compare data for each model on real world mileage, charging times, speed and emission data. Talking to the owners gave non-electric car drivers reassurance on common concerns such as “range anxiety” – how far they would be able to travel and how they would be able to charge their car if it ran out of power unexpectedly.
None of the owners at the show had ever required rescue because of flat batteries and they emphasised how your driving behaviour adapts to energy management.
Matthew Bird, sustainability officer and lead on electric vehicle strategy at Mid Sussex District Council gave a talk on owning an electric car, the charging network and what the future might hold. A point he made was that the majority of people with an electric car either charge at work or at home and seldom need to use public charging points. A new and important EU grant was mentioned: a 40% contribution to the cost of buying an electric car for small businesses in East Sussex
Organiser Julia Waterlow said: “It was fantastic that this new event attracted so much interest and got such a positive reception from visitors. We are especially grateful to the marvellous owners who gave up their Saturday to come along with their cars and provide so much practical information to visitors. We’d like to thank Harvey’s Brewery for generously allowing us to hold the event in their yard – and Matthew Bird for a really useful and interesting talk.”
“One concern we heard from potential buyers, however, is that there are only two public electric vehicle charging points in Lewes, with many asking if the council, the supermarkets and large employers can take action to address this,” Julia said. “People who regularly have to drive long distances are also holding back from taking the plunge until there is greater provision of charging points across the country. For these reasons, some visitors told us they are initially looking at hybrid vehicles, which can fall back on a standard petrol engine when required.”
Future plans
Given the speed at which electric vehicle technology is progressing, lots of visitors asked if the Lewes Electric Car Show could be a regular event. “We will be looking to hold further shows in the future,” says Julia. “New developments in electric car technology are happening almost weekly. The one thing that you can be sure of is that both the cars and the network will be even more sophisticated within a very short time.”
Electric Vehicles
There are many good websites already covering the subject so here are links which should give you all the information you need. Note that the technology and models are changing fast so you are best to look at specialist websites like Zap Map and Nextgreencar which update regularly.
Different makes:
| Nissan Tesla BMW |
CitroenSmart Peugeot Hyundai |
Mitsubishi Audi Honda |
VW Toyota: only hybrid Renault Mitsubishi |
Record numbers of people are buying electric cars and plug-in hybrids, but many people still have reservations – and many of those centre on charging. How easy is it, where can you do it; how can you do it; and how long does it take? This video answers some of these questions:
YouTube
Electric cars will come of age in 2018. For the first time they will compete in price and performance with petrol and diesel cars. But in the year ahead we will also be confronted with some uncomfortable truths about going electric.
YouTube
Worth reading…
The Beginners Guide to Driving Electric Cars
This is another guide which offers helpful information such as:
• A beginner-friendly introduction to electric cars (EVs) and why they’re increasingly becoming popular, as well as a brief history of electric vehicle development (dating all the way back to the 1800s!)
• Differences between electric cars and hybrid electric/diesel models, as well as examples of brands and models of EVs in the market today
• Government grants, tax advantages, and other public support enjoyed by electric car owners.
• Other useful information, advice, and resources to help you decide if an electric car is right for you
0 Comments