Letters to the Editor

Dear Sir,
Once again, this is a prime example of the government’s failure to do “joined up thinking”! First, if everyone has to have an electric car, how will current drivers be able to afford one if they are unable to sell their petrol/diesel vehicle as there will not be a market for 2nd hand vehicles? Second, how will people be able to afford all the new sets of batteries when they pass their “drop dead date” a few years later? Third, batteries are currently made of lithium which is mined (causing ecological problems) so should this proposal wait until a new form of battery is invented? Fourth, power brown-outs and black-outs occur on the island now so what can be done to improve the supply to cover the huge amount of electricity required to charge all these electric vehicles, many of which would be charged in the evening? Presumably the generating companies have a plan which ties in with this? A few thousand solar panels on the roof of larger buildings will not be enough (especially at peak times) and plans for solar power farms have been blocked already! Fifth, how many electric buses, coaches, vans and heavy goods lorries are on the market now? Sixth, What about agricultural equipment (tractors, combine harvesters etc) and power generators (diesel mostly) for those who live “off grid” plus hotels, hospitals etc for their emergency back-up generators? During the winter months, our generator is used quite a lot and that’s just for one household with 20 solar panels. Seventh, Motorcyclists have little choice in electric bikes and the price is far higher than petrol powered models. Even though it is just under 8 years away for the diesel ban, and 18 for the petrol vehicles, how long will “traditionally fuelled” vehicles be allowed to be on the road and have fuel available at petrol stations? Why not move to hydrogen powered vehicles? This was invented many years ago and I remember reading that the inventor died a mysterious death shortly after it was announced. Will the oil companies permit this governments ban on new (and presumably older) petrol and diesel vehicles? The vast majority of items of any description are much more expensive on the island than elsewhere in Europe so this will cause all sorts of problems BUT I wonder if it is a way of stopping or at least slowing tourism, boosting Endesa’s profits, boosting the car sales companies profits and driving us “foreigners” (who bring in a lot of this island’s foreign currency!) away?
Brian Gatcombe
Costitx