Why buy an EV?

Speaking as an owner of an eight year old diesel that meets the household needs but is clearly not great for the environment the trends and discussions about electric vehicles is of significant interest. Estimates vary but It seems that the upfront or embodied emissions from building an EV could be balanced by the emissions avoided by battery powered motoring at about 10k miles per year. As a very low mileage household clinging on to the diesel car and avoiding the significant cost of an equivalent EV has some justification in carbon accounting at an individual level. However, there is a much more powerful argument at the system level. The discarded fossil car will be sold on the second hand market or even exported to developing countries where it will continue to spew out carbon for the foreseeable future. On this account the new EV has emitted carbon in its manufacture with no offsetting benefit.

The UK Government is being pressurised by the motor manufacturers to relax the 'mandate' that is requiring an ever increasing proportion of their cars to be EVs. the demand for these relatively expensive cars is high but not enough to justify 20% of output. The consultation ending in February 2025 is asking the industry (public not excluded) how the transition to EVs could be negotiated without the volume builders folding or moving to countries with no restrictions/incentives. The rational response is to include 'repowering' to be included in the mandate so that production lines are dedicated to changing a fossil car into one with a battery and electric motor - keeping the body, strengthened chassis, wheels/tyres, upholstery and windows. The advantage is not just in limiting the upfront carbon in building a 'new' EV, but in taking a fossil car permanently off the road. This is a win/win instead of the net loss when a diesel is traded for and EV. The decarbonisation and electrification of road transport needs to be addressed on a systems basis and the Government would need to support the manufacturers to make re-powering economic for them and the drivers/customers. The alternative is virtue signally that will not improve the chances of the Government having its carbon reduction plan approved by the High Court in May 2025 when compliance with the Climate Change Act will be assessed. Incidentally, a lower national speed limit of 50mph would reduce the comparative advantage of driving fossil and make using an EV relatively more attractive.