A world of electric cars?

Reports like the one out today are meant to be read for their shock value.


No doubt, greenies everywhere are busily sharing and approving of this report, which claims that in 10 years the petrol/diesel engine era will be over.


However, I am not so sure about these claims. Firstly, the electric cars are still too expensive and although battery technology improves, they are relatively slow. Maybe in about 10 years they will start to be competitive, but I doubt before then. And, when they do they are going to need to have a huge road tax (something needs to replace petrol taxes), so delaying the day or competitive equivalence.


Then there is this nice communist dream I see everywhere about Uber taking everything over and people not owning cars. This works just in in, say, London. Anywhere outside a major conurbation this is an idea for the birds. It has taken a century to get the world set to make people free, they are not going to give this up easily and certainly not within a decade. Who cares about saving money when you have a choice about freedom to make (er, the EU referendum vote anyone?).


Then there is the charging, people will get used to it, but an hour plus stop all the time is not an easy thing. Just to be controversial too and anti-capitalist, this is an area where international standards are needed too, so that all cars are compatible with some kind of generic charging platform.


Whilst I don't doubt electric is catching on (all the rich, cool people in my town now are rushing to buy Model X Tesla's), it will be a longer than 10 years for it to try to replace the current infrastructure - and this is in the West, let alone the rest of the world where power is not even stable or affordable!


I won't be rushing to short oil companies just yet.