The oil and gas barons, having invested so heavily to influence the policies of the present American government, must be shaking their heads in dismay at the recent turn of events in the Middle East. The joint American/Israeli killing of the Iranian leadership, and bombardment of the country, has failed in whatever its objectives were.
Instead, the inhumane Iranian regime has been gifted a stranglehold on sea traffic through the Straits of Hormuz. That unintended consequence has caused a leap in the cost of materials, including the oil, gas and fertiliser that we are still too dependent upon, hitting the pockets of consumers everywhere.
However, there has also been a major – positive – unintended consequence, and that’s the surge in sales of electric vehicles, as more drivers seek lower running costs. This is the total opposite of what the fossil fuel industry wants, and is a big step towards decarbonising transport. With new EV prices in the UK becoming increasingly competitive, and more good value secondhand ones on the market, the direction of travel is clear. Pardon the pun.
One major disappointment with the present EV market in the UK is the high proportion of oversized SUVs being sold. If you get sandwiched between two of these in a car park you can have difficulty opening your door to get out, and meeting one on a narrow country road often results in hedge scraping.
Another major disappointment is the high proportion of vehicles that are Chinese-built. China saw the future need for EVs and capitalised on it, while we debated, dithered and delayed.
Transitioning to EVs is only part of the transport solution. We need better support for cycling and better public transport. It’s challenging to provide regular bus services in largely rural settings, but solutions like car sharing can help to reduce costs as well as the number of vehicles on the road.
Bus privatisation has failed badly. The Green Party’s call is to bring buses back under public control, and free fares for everyone under 22 to help make life more affordable for young people – who need all the help they can get.
Ken Huggins for the Green Party
