Makes perfect sense for the PM’s climate spokesperson to criticise the charging infrastructure. After all, I'm sure there's no-one anywhere near her who could do anything to try and help that.
Even so, you don't need to do a 10% to 80% charge each time you stop. I've done several long journeys and just added enough to get me to my destination where I can plug in overnight, so the motorway stop was about 15-20 minutes.
Last time I checked, there were very pleasant trains connecting London with her relatives in Southern Scotland, the Lake District and North Wales. Baffling that the interviewer didn't push her on that.
That said, I'm not sure owning a diesel should be a crime for someone in her position. She clearly uses it for long journeys, and is considering an EV for its eventual replacement.
Rather she was honest about that than ostentatiously owning an EV just for the sake of it.
Yeah there are some valid reasons for someone living and working in London not yet having switched to an EV (provided they never drive it locally).
The main issue is with her, the bloomin’ COP26 spokesperson no less, perpetuating myths about EVs.
Unless it was supposed to be some cunning way of generating column inches in newspapers pointing out that actually plenty of current EVs could quite easily do a 250 mile journey with 1 stop under 45 minutes long.
And the reasons she gave are just so pathetic and shrouded in a) dishonesty, b) selfishness and c) ignorance:
a) she was considering changing her car to "another car" but then hurt her leg - doesn’t say whether she was considering changing to a full EV or maybe a hybrid. So she sort of attempts to give the impression she was about to switch to an EV…but actually clearly isn’t, given her later comments about not fancying one yet.
b) her primary concern (despite being COP26 spokesperson) is not having to do some parenting if a kid wakes up when stopping to charge.
c) despite being COP26 spokesperson (and it therefore being highly likely she will need to talk about EVs sooner or later) she has absolutely no idea about the range and charging time of currently available EVs - particularly ones that someone who was on £125k (in their previous role with the PM), would most likely be able to afford.
An EV forum is filled with people interested in EVs and cars, but much of the public isn't that interested in cars and many people buy a car and keep it for many years, they're not switching PCPs or leases every 3 years. They buy a car, run it until it develops some issues and then buy another one.
She sounds like most of the population - already got a car, happy with it, don't see the need to change it immediately just to switch to an EV but will consider an EV when it comes around needing replacement. Ultimately that's how the country will move to EVs, gradually over time.
That’s great - except she’s the PM’s Climate Spokesperson for COP26. So it’s not quite the same as her being any old member of the public.
It should be about her trying to lead by example, and that may not necessarily mean her rushing out and getting an EV the moment she got the job, but at least know some actual stuff about what current EVs are now capable of, know that charging already takes less than 45 minutes, don’t perpetuate myths, and perhaps at least give the impression that you think the impact on climate is more important than whether or not little Johnny wakes up because he happened to be asleep at the time you needed to stop and charge.
Exactly - it’s not really about her own personal decisions - but about how she talks about them, given her position, and how that may influence other people making similar decisions by perpetuating the belief that all EVs are not suitable for "long" journeys.
I say long because some of the example she gave aren’t even long. I mean, London to Gloucestershire!?
Friday: ID3. Left on 78%. North Norfolk to Manchester. 200 miles. Full car and a 5 year old in the back.
Left at 12:30 - arrived at 19:00. Terrible traffic on the A17 on the way back. Stopped for a 55(ish) to 80% top up and a sandwich at the IV in Boston. Eating and drinking took 15 min longer than charging... Got back home at c.25% The 5YO did really well... he likes the car - can talk to us easily and loads of room. Flat floor also means he can scamper across and get out of either back door easily without clambering over anything.
Users who hit the Guardian’s registration wall are given the option to register for free, sign in if they have an existing account or have contributed in the past, or dismiss the registration wall with a ‘Not Now’ button (if you notice it!).
To be fair to the UK Climate Spokesperson, the entire government is run on cocaine, with decisions clearly reflecting it. 20 minutes is a very long time
I’m not usually one to defend government spokespeople, but at least she is being open and honest about her personal position, which is pretty rare. I don’t think she’s right, but it illustrates where a lot of people are at. And of course if she only uses her very old golf for those long journeys and no short-distance driving, it would be a long while before a new EV replacement reached environmental break-even.
Having just said all that in her defence I am going to have to take a long hard look at myself.
"I'll do it later" icon, but as I am registered hard to tell. Just different to others as you can access it without charge. Register and then no more trouble.
David Cameron’s ‘trick’ to make sure he was alert in important meetings/speeches/appearances was apparently to get his bladder to a state where he needed to go (but not desperately). This kept him on edge - but not too on edge.
Not sure where I’m going with this - but it seems to fit the politician / bathroom theme 😁
btw - yesterday the Guardian published a couple of responses to the article about the Minister. Including a ‘what’s the fuss about” piece interviewing 5 EV owners.
David Cameron’s ‘trick’ to make sure he was alert in important meetings/speeches/appearances was apparently to get his bladder to a state where he needed to go (but not desperately). This kept him on edge - but not too on edge.
Not sure where I’m going with this - but it seems to fit the politician / bathroom theme 😁
“We’ve just recently driven from south Devon to Fort William in Scotland. We drove about 700 miles over two days. We stopped for a coffee at Gloucester services and topped up the battery for 20 minutes at a 44kWh charger. That got us to Lancaster for the night. We plugged in to a 7.5kWh charger in a town centre car park in Lancaster during the evening and that gave us plenty of energy to get to Stirling the next day.
“In Stirling we stopped for lunch and plugged into a 50kWh charger in a town car park. The battery was at 95% after just over an hour and got us to our destination with more than 50% (150 miles) left. Of course we needed to be signed up to various different charging networks. ”
This is in a 300 mile range car and planning around chargers. Sort of makes the MP's point for her.
That's not how I read that bit. South Devon to Fort William is an incredibly long way, definitely a trip I would split over two days in any car; it sounds like they made the trip stopping where they would have anyway and were able to use chargers that fit in with that schedule.
Charging to 95% on a rapid when they only needed less than 45% could be a bit annoying for someone waiting, but they were perfectly entitled to do so, and it made the point that the car was charging while they were having lunch anyway so no extra time was needed.
Planning a long trip isn't hard. On your regular routes like the MP describes it probably only takes a couple of minutes. Most people will remember where they charged, in the same way they remember which petrol stations they use and which ones to avoid because they charge too much or have a queue.
Just to be clear, Allegra Stratton isn’t an MP. She was a senior journalist, whose last editorial job was as national editor of ITV News. She moved over to work as an aide for Rishi Sunak, and was then recruited as the PM’s press spokesperson, supposedly to do the sort of televised briefings that the White House spokespeople do. The briefings were put back several times, among allegations that she wasn’t up to the job and got it in preference to better candidates because she was a friend and ally of the PM’s wife.
Finally, and after spending £2.6m on a makeover of a room in 10 Downing St for her briefings, the post and the briefings were scrapped. In order to justify her £125k+ salary they made her the COP26 spokesperson. So her WHOLE JOB, for which she is paid a six figure salary, is to talk to the press about climate change and how to combat it, yet she doesn’t know the basics of the current state of play on electric car ranges and charging speeds.
Allegra Stratton is an experienced journalist, even if she was Downing Street press secretary (blink and you'll miss it) for just 6 months. That said, the Conservatives have a sense of entitlement that precludes them from making the right decision. You just have to look at Gavin Williamson (education secretary) mishandling everything he touches.
Back to the case in point. Allegra should be better informed as COP26 official spokesperson, but not to simply rush out and buy an electric car so the Government are on the right side of the argument. Just because she drives a diesel I don't agree she should be burnt at the stake for heresy. The government, in fact the previous ones, whatever your political persuasion have shown a lack of ambition to actually grab the bull by the horns and lead by example. You just need to look at the cut to the feed in tariff for selling electricity back to the grid as the sort of short-sighted approach they have to what is a fundamental change in how we approach and adopt new products and technologies.
Driving a diesel is not the issue. The reasons given are a mix of not-very-well-informed reasons and things that the government hasn't done much to help with. It makes her look not all that interested in a nice paying job.
I think the actions of Gov have always lead to the deaths of more people than would otherwise be the case.
So how is that any different to normal?
Have you noticed the death rate from this Omigod variant? ......
Statistically speaking ... unmeasurable ...
Who's to say Omigod to earlier variants isn't like chickenpox to small pox?
I'm not arguing that, I'm just arguing that perspective is lost, and if laughter at Christmas is ALSO banned, then, f-me, what does it matter if we all die right now?
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