Sting in the tail

In the next few years the government is going to waste more of our money give a £5000 subsidy on electric cars to promote a green lifestyle no doubt. In other words like most governments they are going to try and buck the market with probably the usual results of pouring good money after bad.

Telegraph.

Drivers are to get a subsidy of up to £5,000 towards the cost of electric and plug-in hybrids car under Government plans to promote “greener” motoring. 

The £43 million on offer will be enough to contribute towards for the purchase of 8,600 vehicles during the first 15 months of the scheme, which begins in January.

However with the technology still in its infancy, it was unclear how many models would qualify for the programme. 

According to the AA there are the three which currently qualify for the programme and all priced in the luxury car bracket.

The cheapest is the Nissan Leaf, which will cost £28,000 when it goes on sale. The Mitsubishi i-Miev carries a £38,000 price tag.

At the top end of the market there is the Tesla sports car, which sells for £92,000.

However the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said it expected a number of other models to come onto the market next year.

The grants are expected to be made available on a first come, first served basis and will be used to cut the price of the car when it is bought from the dealer.

Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, said the grant showed the Coalition’s determination to tackle climate change.

“We are sending a clear signal that Britain is open for business and that we are committed to greening our economy. This will ensure that the UK is a world leader in low emission vehicles.”

The scheme was also welcomed by Philip Edmund King, the AA’s president.

“This is excellent news and will be a fillip for manufacturers and consumers who are keen to see both further development of low or carbon-free emitting vehicles and for them to be more competitively priced in the market place.,” he said.

“The recent successful scrappage scheme showed just how effective a stimulus package like this can be,”

Ok, my views on climate change are well known to those who read this blog, in that climate changes, but if you think mankind is having an effect then you're deluding yourself. However I can sort of see the advantage of an electric car if you are just doing short trips and don't really expect to go boy racing, bit like an upgraded version of a mobility scooter so to speak. However the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages at the moment. Battery life is only 6 to 10 years or about 100,000 miles (it may improve) and they are damned expensive to replace, something that Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive owners are about to start experiencing very soon.where the cost of new batteries is more than the car is worth.
But in typical government style, what they give away in one hand, they take back with the other.


Telegraph.

Householders face a £300-a-year rise in their gas and electricity bills and significant cuts in how much energy they use if Britain is to “keep the lights on” and meet its climate change targets, the Government has said.

So they're encouraging you to buy electric and putting the prices up as well also in their "green" madness they are building 44,000 wind turbines and situating them in one of the worst storm areas in the North Sea complete with salt damage and very, very high maintenance costs. Something that the government clearly doesn't have a clue about.
Still, I don't suppose any of the government really care, it's unlikely to affect them at all, unless there's a revolution and we string them up, even then some of the rats will no doubt escape the sinking ship. I expect they'll all make a break for it when the lights eventually go out on a wind less day.