Charge your electric car - in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown!

[thebrom]

Green Party Energy Minister Eamon Ryan has welcomed a new initiative by Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown Council to offer charging facilities for electric vehicles on the streets of the town. Speaking from Dun Laoghaire today where he went to see samples of the charging points and the electric vehicles they will support, Minister Ryan said he hoped that other local authorities would follow the Council's example.

"This is an excellent initiative and a real step forward for greener transport," he said. "I hope that other local authorities take note of the progressive measures here in Dun Laoghaire and investigate installing charging points in their own community." From Tuesday 1 July all new vehicles registered in the state will have their VRT and motor tax calculated on an emissions basis. Cars that produce higher emissions will pay more, while electric vehicles and lower emitting vehicles will pay less and may even be exempt.

Green Party Cllr Gene Feighery who successfully tabled the motion to have electric charging facilities installed and who drives an electric car herself welcomed the council's progressive attitude on the issue. "With rising fuel costs it is inevitable that people will be looking at alternatives and electric transport offers that. It is vital that local Councillors take the lead and ensure that facilities are in place to encourage people to make the switch to a cleaner and more cost-effective form of transport. We also need to avoid the chicken and egg scenario where the council management say they can't justify putting in charging points until there are enough electric cars on the road."

The Electric Transport Lobby presented two examples of electric cars in Dun Laoghaire today. The vehicles produce no carbon emissions are fully recyclable and are exempt from VRT. They also have low running costs of approximately €200 in electricity per year. Information packs outlining initiatives to increase the use of electric cars have been issued to all TDs. Suggestions include free parking for electric cars, the use of bus lanes and lower tax incentives.

As they say: If there is a future, it will be Green...

[Seos]

excellent, I wonder when and where will they be made available and at what price?

[Centurian]

The vehicles produce no carbon emissions ...

What a load of rubbish ! - What about the carbon emissions to produce the electricity to charge the batteries ? Loony green tree hugging nonsense ! .

[Pidge]

The vehicles produce no carbon emissions ...

What a load of rubbish ! - What about the carbon emissions to produce the electricity to charge the batteries ? Loony green tree hugging nonsense ! .

Steady now. He's correct - the vehicles themselves produce no carbon. What does produce (in most cases) produce carbon is the power plant. The car still has a carbon footprint (one which is far easier managed), but it doesn't produce carbon - in the same way a television doesn't emit carbon.

[Centurian]

The use of these cars is not carbon neutral as his post suggests. Carbon is emitted in the production of the cars and the batteries, and carbon is emitted when the electricity used to charge the batteries is produced. Given the inefficiencies of generating and transmitting the electricity, it would in fact be greener to burn the same fossil fuel that is burnt at the power station in a small internal combustion engine in the car instead.

[ivnryn]

Steady now. He's correct - the vehicles themselves produce no carbon. What does produce (in most cases) produce carbon is the power plant. The car still has a carbon footprint (one which is far easier managed), but it doesn't produce carbon - in the same way a television doesn't emit carbon.

So, capture the CO2 at the power plant, and do what with it ?

[Centurian]

Also, using carbon capture technology is a ridiculously uneconomical way to generate electricity - quite apatr from the problem of what to do with the CO2.

[joemomma]

Given the inefficiencies of generating and transmitting the electricity, it would in fact be greener to burn the same fossil fuel that is burnt at the power station in a small internal combustion engine in the car instead.

Says you. Do you have any analysis to back that up?

It's obviously a complex question, but it's generally accepted that the greater energy efficiency of electric vehicles results in a net benefit in terms of carbon emissions. As we move our electricity generation to cleaner sources this benefit increases.

[Pidge]

The use of these cars is not carbon neutral as his post suggests. Carbon is emitted in the production of the cars and the batteries, and carbon is emitted when the electricity used to charge the batteries is produced.

Nobody is stupid enough to suggest that that's the case. Electric cars do not emit carbon. That's what was claimed. The environmental benefit is that the cars can be powered by low carbon fuels, can be charged at night (when demand is lower) and the fuel used to power them can be centrally controlled or powered by domestic renewables.

Given the inefficiencies of generating and transmitting the electricity, it would in fact be greener to burn the same fossil fuel that is burnt at the power station in a small internal combustion engine in the car instead.

When you use the term "in fact", it'd be good to have some sort of source. Do you?

[Pidge]

Steady now. He's correct - the vehicles themselves produce no carbon. What does produce (in most cases) produce carbon is the power plant. The car still has a carbon footprint (one which is far easier managed), but it doesn't produce carbon - in the same way a television doesn't emit carbon.

So, capture the CO2 at the power plant, and do what with it ?

What makes you think I was suggesting carbon capture?