Would you have an electric car if you had the money for a new car and were in the market for one?

[Potter]

It's a good point about the cost of things and I'll add to that the price of public transport, which in many cases prices people into using cheap ICE cars. We went down to London recently (from the NW) and for five of us the cheapest off-peak tickets were £135 each (that's £675 for us all), initially I spat my dummy out and said we'd go in the car, but in the end I was persuaded to pay it, but I'd guess many would choose the cheaper option.

Even years ago when I worked in Carlisle (IIRC about 2001) it used to cost me more on the train to commute than it did to drive there, so I'd usually do alternate months to give myself a break from the driving.

The London-centric government wants everyone to walk, bicycle, use public transport, or go out and buy a £60k EV.

From a practical point of view it will be a while until people that can afford to are persuaded to buy EVs - and it'll be a lot longer still for most people to be able to afford them when compared to their ICE vehicles. I don't see Dazzles "Push" model happening for a long time for most of the general public.

[Couchy]

As I’m firmly in the EV world with my business I should be a huge fan of them. I could afford one but it’s still cheaper to run a diesel and far easier to use with zero planning needed for any journey. But for those that are less fortunate they can buy a £4K car that’ll do 600 miles on a tank of diesel, I can’t ever see a day they’ll be able to buy a £4K electric car with decent range however no one really cares about them.

I’ll get an EV in the next few years but at the moment I can’t be bothered to run one and have to think about range and charging, luckily others can , but a big stumbling block now is the price of electric and that has to change

No one cared about the people who wanted Brexit - until they started voting! There are an awful lot of people very reliant on £4k cars.

The people who wanted brexit were mainly millionaires so they don’t count. Of the poorer people who wanted brexit they were just misled and are now paying the price of increased costs because of it. But these people will be the first ones priced off the road when the cheap cars become too expensive to run. They will be bus’d into work by the local warehouses and factories. Tbh they already do that locally here. There is no scope for very cheap electric cars that these folk will be able to afford.

[Yambo]

The people who wanted brexit were mainly millionaires so they don’t count. Of the poorer people who wanted brexit they were just misled and are now paying the price of increased costs because of it. But these people will be the first ones priced off the road when the cheap cars become too expensive to run. They will be bus’d into work by the local warehouses and factories. Tbh they already do that locally here. There is no scope for very cheap electric cars that these folk will be able to afford.

LOL!

[Cousin Jack]

No one cared about the people who wanted Brexit - until they started voting! There are an awful lot of people very reliant on £4k cars.

The people who wanted brexit were mainly millionaires so they don’t count. Of the poorer people who wanted brexit they were just misled and are now paying the price of increased costs because of it. But these people will be the first ones priced off the road when the cheap cars become too expensive to run. They will be bus’d into work by the local warehouses and factories. Tbh they already do that locally here. There is no scope for very cheap electric cars that these folk will be able to afford.

If the political parties think like you I can see a major political upset happening. Mushroom management works fine, until one day the mushrooms bite back. That's the problem with democracy, the little people can only be lead/pushed so far.

[slowsider]

No one cared about the people who wanted Brexit - until they started voting! There are an awful lot of people very reliant on £4k cars.

The people who wanted brexit were mainly millionaires so they don’t count. Of the poorer people who wanted brexit they were just misled and are now paying the price of increased costs because of it. But these people will be the first ones priced off the road when the cheap cars become too expensive to run. They will be bus’d into work by the local warehouses and factories. Tbh they already do that locally here. There is no scope for very cheap electric cars that these folk will be able to afford.

If the political parties think like you I can see a major political upset happening. Mushroom management works fine, until one day the mushrooms bite back. That's the problem with democracy, the little people can only be lead/pushed so far.

I'd guess that the revolution in personal transport has come about in your lifetime. Even a young lad like me can remember when many people couldn't afford a car - d/a sidecars anyone - much less two. The road-and-car building lobby triumphed over rail, but you still couldn't operate cities without it. If the democracy offers efficient public transport then the little people will use it. It won't fulfill everyone's needs everywhere, but neither does what we have, if you take environmental considerations into account.

[Cousin Jack]

I'd guess that the revolution in personal transport has come about in your lifetime. Even a young lad like me can remember when many people couldn't afford a car - d/a sidecars anyone - much less two. The road-and-car building lobby triumphed over rail, but you still couldn't operate cities without it. If the democracy offers efficient public transport then the little people will use it. It won't fulfill everyone's needs everywhere, but neither does what we have, if you take environmental considerations into account.

You are right, the revolution has happened in my lifetime. And yes, we used to manage mainly on public transport. Return to those days and it will be inconvenient, but possible, BUT

The rail lines have gone.
The bus routes have gone

The village I lived in as a teenager had a rail branch line. Not only has that closed but the bridges etc have been torn down, and parts of the track bed have been built over. The terminal station is now an industrial estate. Good luck with re-opening that. The village was also on two bus routes, with the main route having one bus every hour in each direction. Buses ran into a big bus station, with interconnexion to other routes and places. At the moment the bus service is two days per week, with one bus per day in each direction. The bus station is long gone.

Rebuild that infrastructure and yes, reluctantly, people will accept that public transport is the way to go, but I see absolutely zero evidence that this is happening or even being planned.

The problem is that all the 'solutions' are based on cities. Try living in the country and the 'solutions' become laughable.

Build the infrastructure, then take away cars. Try doing it the other way around a a new Farage will arise.

[Mussels]

I don't think public transport will ever be the answer, it's too inlefixible and expensive as proven during covid as people aren't using it but it still needs to be paid for.
The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

[Yambo]

The London-centric government wants everyone to walk, bicycle, use public transport, or go out and buy a £60k EV.

Seriously?

Just about all public transport is subsidised to some extent but the motorist is a huge cash cow for the government. You think they want to give up that income?

There'll only be a delay in getting rid of cars so that government can work out how to get the in ome some other way.

[Cousin Jack]

I don't think public transport will ever be the answer, it's too inlefixible and expensive as proven during covid as people aren't using it but it still needs to be paid for.
The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

Fine, that might work. But it ain't here yet. Uber's might be two a penny in London, but they are like hen's teeth in the West Country.

[Potter]

Never mind the countryside, I have a house in a city suburb, it's about 25 mins walk from the train station so logistically it's possible, but it costs a lot more to use the trains than it does the car. I can afford the train because I'm doing ok, but equally I can also afford the governments plans to try and force me out of my diesel 4x4.
If I wasn't doing ok then I couldn't do either - what then?

I don't know about the bus services, haven't been on one in many years, but even 30-something years ago when I was at school and college it was deteriorating to the point of making a normal college day into an 12hr day with the amount of time waiting and travelling on the bus.

UK public transport is woeful and I can see the point about voting, nothing gets the voters out better than pissing them off.

[Potter]

The London-centric government wants everyone to walk, bicycle, use public transport, or go out and buy a £60k EV.

Seriously?

Just about all public transport is subsidised to some extent but the motorist is a huge cash cow for the government. You think they want to give up that income?

There'll only be a delay in getting rid of cars so that government can work out how to get the in ome some other way.

I don't do a lot of motoring in the UK but if the UK government really values motorists then they have a poor way of showing it.

[Rockburner]

The London-centric government wants everyone to walk, bicycle, use public transport, or go out and buy a £60k EV.

Seriously?

Just about all public transport is subsidised to some extent but the motorist is a huge cash cow for the government. You think they want to give up that income?

There'll only be a delay in getting rid of cars so that government can work out how to get the in ome some other way.

I don't do a lot of motoring in the UK but if the UK government really values motorists then they have a poor way of showing it.

The UK govt doesn't 'value' motorists..... It just sees them as an easier way to generate revenue while giving 'full-freedom of movement of the workers' than public transport (outside of cities, where they have to be 'seen to be doing something about air-quality').

Never believe that any elected official is thinking about anything more than their re-election chances.

[slowsider]

I don't think public transport will ever be the answer, it's too inlefixible and expensive as proven during covid as people aren't using it but it still needs to be paid for.
The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

so, public transport. but small ones.

[wheelnut]

The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

I can’t see it. There’s no fundamental difference in that model to the one we currently have. People will use a taxi in big cities as they do now and when there’s no alternative. But people like their own space; their own car gives them that.

It’s not going anywhere in a hurry.

[Cousin Jack]

The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

I can’t see it. There’s no fundamental difference in that model to the one we currently have. People will use a taxi in big cities as they do now and when there’s no alternative. But people like their own space; their own car gives them that.

It’s not going anywhere in a hurry.

It's not just their own personal space, taxis in the country are expensive, take a long time to arrive, and are often not available when you want them. Not to mention often being unable to find where you are, never mind your destination.

It's not just the technology that needs to change, it is the whole economic model.

[Mussels]

The revolution will be cheap taxis, self driving ones.

I can’t see it. There’s no fundamental difference in that model to the one we currently have. People will use a taxi in big cities as they do now and when there’s no alternative. But people like their own space; their own car gives them that.

It’s not going anywhere in a hurry.

It's not just their own personal space, taxis in the country are expensive, take a long time to arrive, and are often not available when you want them. Not to mention often being unable to find where you are, never mind your destination.

It's not just the technology that needs to change, it is the whole economic model.

If taxis were cheaper, more available and I didn't have to make small talk with a driver then I'd use them far more often. If I can use them to travel long distances, swapping cars instead of waiting for them to recharge then I may well not bother having my own car.

[weeksy]

In our village we have 1 taxi guy. To get to Newbury which is our closest town is £35-40

[Horse]

In our village we have 1 taxi guy. To get to Newbury which is our closest town is £35-40

Taxis here (Newbury) are feckin expensive. I was in Liverpool recently and it was half the price of here!

[Felix]

No.

[wheelnut]

If taxis were cheaper, more available and I didn't have to make small talk with a driver then I'd use them far more often. If I can use them to travel long distances, swapping cars instead of waiting for them to recharge then I may well not bother having my own car.

What makes you think they will be cheaper? It’s also going have the effect of doubling the traffic on the road with loads of unnecessary journeys.