to think the penny hasn't dropped yet, for many people, that the trade in new petrol and diesel cars is really ending in 6 years

[JadeClade]

I think the price of second hand cars will go through the roof, at first, when new cars are no longer available, and people buying new homes now really do need to be factoring in where they are going to charge an electric car, and all sorts of preparations and plans are simply not being made

YANBU - we need to be planning and preparing, as individuals and society.
YABU- we don't need to think about it.

Yep bang on ☝

The ICE isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Ebikes are the way forward.

I thought this too till I had a trial on an ebike and realised I wouldn't be able to get it up the steps and into the house as it was too heavy, plus I live in a terrace so no way to get one into the back of the house. Also means I can't have an electric car as nowhere to charge one unless I'm going to have a cable across the pavement which would be extremely selfish and hopefully illegal.

I know there are light weight ebikes but they are, like electric cars, far beyond my budget.

Many people cannot plan or think ahead. Think of all the threads on MN over the years with people unhappy at shorter shop hours on a Sunday, even though the current law is 30 years old. Or who cannot plan for the summer holidays which are always at the same time.

I think there is an expectation that the end of new petrol and diesel cars won't actually happen on that date. So many government plans and deadlines get postponed, think HS2 opening as an example.

You will still be able to buy hybrid cars. Including self charging ones.

Maybe people will be having to wfh or work closer to home like they did years ago

Yeah- they should just crack on and wfh. All those carers, chefs, hospital porters, bin men, electricians, nursery staff, shop workers….

I converted an ordinary bike into an ebike by adding a battery and motor. Battery adds 1.5kg of weight. The range isn’t as good as a normal ebike but it’s enough for work commute and I don’t drive anymore. Cost £500!

The OP is undoubtedly naive.

However, there is a point buried in this. At the moment, the government is telling us that all new cars will be EV by 2030. I agree with everyone about the current impracticality issues and implementation problems surrounding this target.

BUT…it’s about time the government came out and told us whether there is a new target date, or what their plan is to deal with the resultant effects that will ensue if they stick to original date. We do actually need to be planning for the changes, whatever/whenever they occur.

Because they don’t believe that the state should be researching new technologies that’s why.

And it’s a stupid mindset and ignorant one too.

They could work closer to home if housing costs weren’t so extortionate for many.

Yes and car parks won't take the weight of them.
They go through tyres quicker too.

We also need more power stations to power them. Nuclear fuel isn't the best either.

6 years isn't going to happen.

I ve long thought this is a stupid idea, the EU's deadline is 2035 and even that will slip....
How are low paid but essential workers going to get from a to b ? e.g community care workers? people in terraced housing? in flats? and most importantly, the UK hasn't the generation capacity to supply all this electricity.

also, 2nd cars becoming more expensive? mmmmm depends on price and availability of fuel.

A far better solution would be to limit engine size and improve efficiency, Euro 6 diesel standard was introduced in 2015, there should be a euro 7 or 8 by now but the focus has been on EV instead.

The infrastructure and technology is not there for so many of these promises and dates will change.

Except round here the NIMBYs refuse to let anyone build new houses….

It’s taken 50 years to get us dependent on cars, it will take years to unwind car dependence, as it took ages in the Netherlands. But it starts with people understanding that the current situation can’t continue. Car dependency only enables crap public transport and high house prices, it’s a sticking plaster.

My prompt was our local town talking of a congestion charge - I bought an E bike through the cycle to work scheme and have hardly driven to work since.

And if there were employment opportunities nearer to home. Unfortunately, centralisation, mergers, etc., has meant that far too many jobs are now concentrated in a handful of big cities. Until that centralisation is reversed, there won't be "local" jobs for people to do, other than typically low paid hospitality, retail and care work.

You won't find many international/national firms with branches in smaller cities and towns these days.

Absolutely true as well.

This. How would it work? The national grid surely isn't equipped for this.

NIMBYS do the same where I live but if you listen to their objections- it’s about the lack of schools, doctors and infrastructure to cope with the extra people.

Also lack of action on empty homes.

Or increase public transport so those living more really can access it

It doesn't need to because the requirement isn't for everyone to own an EV by 2030.

But there is a raft of EV technology that will assist with grid load and usage.

I believe hybrids will still be available though...

What I don't get is why are we not going full biofuel? For petrol it's straight forward and cars would go like sh1t off a shovel! For diesel is a little trickier but not much. There's enough chicken sh1t in Norfolk to provide for this, we don't need to be converting food to fuel or anything. So, if we are serious about stopping oil and gas and climate change (and we should be serious about both) than let's stop fg about and get on with it versus disrupting people's lives/livelihoods. Our government is incompetent.

neb the street lights are off at night around here too (town centre estate). No way would I want to be out there on foot.

I thought that hybrids were the worst of both worlds, not evough charge to be a full EV and really heavy because of the battery which makes them fuel inefficient

I like this idea. I reckon my guinea pigs could power a small country simply by using the amount of crap they produce from their butts 😀