We are not set up for electric vehicles in this country

[Pollyannaatemyjelly]

We have an electric vehicle. We tend not to do too many long journeys but today it was inevitable. We have visit a very popular destination via major motorways but there is not one fast charger available on our route. I've just stopped on the M5 on what is supposed to be a dual charger (so more than one vehicle can charge) but it's not working. I've had to wait 20 minutes for the vehicle next to me to charge before I can even begin to charge mine. There is no chance this county can become all electric when the infrastructure is so poor.

Re monitoring: yes, I think the idea is that the kilometers driven will be recorded by devices inside your car. The figure can then be extracted
during your MOT and used to calculate the amount of tax you should pay. So no need for monitoring on the roads themselves.

In a way, monitoring via the roads would be better as this would allow a responsive/elastic system where the amount you are charged would vary according to congestion levels and so on, which could potentially create a system where people could choose to drive at less congested times in order to be charged less (a bit like those systems where you can run your washing machine for less money if it goes on in the middle of the night or whatever).

However, UK people tend to be nervous about privacy, so systems that do not record or monitor exactly where a vehicle is located at any given time, are probably more feasible and are the way it will mostly likely be done.

My petrol 2016 Fiesta is no VED, there was a short time around then that some small petrol cars had no road tax, it has never been changed for my car and I doubt it will be.

Oh if anyone is worried about privacy, don’t ever buy an electric car
https://www.forensicmag.com/594249-Vehicle-Forensics-From-Car-to-Court/

Scary stuff. But on the plus side, it’s going to be much more difficult in future for anyone to get away with hit and runs,
buglaries - in fact any crime involving a vehicle.

Have you linked the wrong article as it doesn't mention EVs......🤔

Or any car at all.

I live rurally and I can do big trips by train. It's the local trips that require a car. Getting to work, doing the big shop, medical appointments etc.

For people who don't often do long trips by car and are mostly just doing short trips, EVs are already at the stage of being pretty practical... as long as they have a place to charge up, that is! I've no idea what that situ is like in rural areas....

I do feel like some rural residents would be able to swap out cars for electric bikes on at least some trips IF rural areas had networks of standalone walking-and-biking trails segregated from traffic (from village to village, and from each village to the nearest town or city). Not every person or every journey or in every weather/time of day, obviously. But it would help many rural people to reduce their miles driven, be a free way to get fitter, and provide opportunities for some much-needed indepedence for older kids and teenagers in rural areas. Without standalone trails, however, this won't happen, as rural roads are scary places to bike or even to walk - you can't see what's coming round the bend and there is often no pavement.

That's applicable to all new cars not EVs
Everything is more connected whether you like it or not. "The internet of things" encompasses so much of people's lives these days, most people are really unaware of how connected they are, from personal devices & gadgets to appliances, to cars and security etc

@HolefreeGrail, we had to charge for a couple of weeks till our wall charger was fitted, we just charged our Tesla overnight so we got the cheaper electricity.

We've just upgraded to a dual motor one, and it's much better for long distance driving. We managed a four hour drive without having to charge at all, and we'd only started on 80% as that's the recommended daily charge and we forgot to up it.

A four hour drive without having to charge is not really that long. My husband drives that far every day with the commute to work and back and then driving around for visits at work.
Currently EVs seem to be ideal for office workers who can charge at work or home and at regular gym and supermarket visits. Its a certain kind of middle class lifestyle.

Our EV does a real world range of about 260 miles on a charge (advertised as more but like all cars the higher figure is a bit optimistic) and if necessary can be fast charged in the time it takes for a coffee/ wee break. We rarely charge out and about and just plug in when we get home - it's only if we are doing a big trip we'd do more and it's not meant any more stops than when we used to stop anyway. .
If you are driving that much in a day you should be taking at least a small break.
There are already EVs with better range than this ours isn't really the latest tech and has dated quite a bit.

Currently EVs sre only suitable for people with two cars, Teslas and properties with off-street parking.

People with money, in other words.

I have 1 car, and it's not a Tesla. Off street parking I'll grant you.

I have one car, an EV, not a Tesla and no off-street parking.

@Chersfrozenface - we live rural, no public transport. 1 car, not Tesla. Do have driveway with charger though ( but also have places within 3 min drive to charge)

It is when it's not fully charged when you set off...😂