THE man leading a green local public transport offer has successfully secured the funds the Teme Wheels charity needs to purchase an electric people carrier with wheelchair access.
However, retired engineer John Driver, chairman of Teme Wheels, says he is not convinced that electric propulsion is the best way to go and has environmental problems.
“The government relies on electronics and that’s why we’re going this way,” said Mr. Driver.
The appeal for donations, which also included local donations, achieved its goal within a few days.
Mr. Driver isn’t sure if electrical engineering is as good for the planet as people think.
He points out that the electricity has to be generated and whether the national grid can handle this is questionable.
Mr. Driver is also aware that the precious metals required for the batteries must be mined at the expense of the environment and then transported.
“We don’t know how long the batteries will last,” he said.
“Like the battery in a cell phone, they have a limited number of charging cycles and then have to be disposed of, and the batteries are not biodegradable.”
He said new batteries will be very heavy and expensive, with the cost of a new battery pack likely to be in the four-digit range.
Modern electric car technology also offers a very limited range.
There will also be environmental and financial costs when gasoline and diesel are taken off the road and replaced with new cars.
It would be a big breakthrough if a way could be found to convert existing gasoline and diesel engines to run on “green” fuel.
Mr. Driver believes hydrogen propulsion could be the best long-term option, if not without its problems.
Scientists are looking for other alternatives that would reduce CO2 emissions to save the planet.
