GREEN campaigner Adrian Loening has backed a Scottish Government push to put more electric cars on the streets of Edinburgh.
As chairman of the Electric Vehicles Association, Adrian is urging motorists in the capital to join the green team.
Last month, as part of its Greener Together campaign, the Scottish Government published the Switch on Electric Vehicles Roadmap.
The stated aim of the “roadmap” is to rid towns and cities of emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles by 2050.
Almost all new-car sales will be near zero emission at the tailpipe from 2040, and half of all fossil-fuel vehicles will be phased out in urban areas by 2030, according to the document.
Around £14million will be spent over the next two years to encourage motorists and businesses to switch to electric vehicles and contribute to Scotland’s climate change targets being reached.
Charge points will be installed at Scottish Government buildings, and petrol and diesel vehicles in its fleet will be replaced with electric alternatives.
Adrian, 52, became one of the first green motorists on Scotland’s roads when he bought his electric car in 2008.
Since then he has never looked back.
Adrian said: “There are several benefits to driving an electric car, for the environment, your finances and your well-being.
“People often worry that the vehicles won’t do what they are supposed to do. But once they try the car for a while on their normal journeys, they tend to change their minds. However, I’m sure once people start to see more charging points they’ll gain confidence in the electric car.
“Eventually everyone will own one. The electric Vehicles Association Scotland has lobbied the government for more power points for some time, so it’s encouraging to see progress is being made.”
It seems the trend is catching on. The capital’s Mitsubishi dealership claims its I-Mieve electric vehicle is currently completely sold out in the UK.
And Edinburgh City Council, which has a 13-strong fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, is considering installing a number of new electric vehicle charging stations at the city‘s park and ride locations.
Adrian, also director of renewable energy firm Mor Hydro, said: “I’ve noticed more electric cars on the road - I see at least one a day in Edinburgh, which is encouraging. The Electric Vehicles Association Scotland now has 100 members and there are 300 electric cars on Scotland‘s roads, so it appears the message is getting out there.”
According to Adrian, an electric car costs anything from £12,000 to £100,000.
But he said running costs are minimal compared to the high price of fuel.
He said: “It costs just two pence per mile to run an electric car, compared to 16-18 pence a mile to run a petrol motor, so surely this must be an incentive for motorists to convert.
“There are also cheaper options available – you can buy the car and lease the battery, which lowers the price.”
But due to a lack of charging points currently available in Scotland, it’s not possible to attempt long journeys in an electric vehicle.
Adrian explained: “An average electric car will probably last for 110 miles before it needs charging again, so it’s not advisable to make huge journeys in it. At the moment it’s more suited as a run around car – for doing the weekly shop, or a trip to Ikea. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Ikea have all installed plug in points.
“But we need more plug-in points. For people living in a city such as Edinburgh it’s not convenient to own an electric car. A lot of people live in flats and don’t have a garage to install a plug in point, so it’s impossible for them to charge the car at home.”
Adrian owns a Nissan Leaf, which goes from stationary to 60mph in just seven seconds.
“Its got everything you want from a motor,” explained Adrian. “It’s fast, quiet, cost-effective, environmentally friendly – and it has a lot of power. I often see other motorists watching in astonishment when I pull away in my Nissan Leaf.”
Under the government’s plan, funding will be offered to businesses and employers to encourage them to install recharging points at workplaces.
Grants to help people buy electric cars and vans are already available, as are free installations of home charging kits.
Rapid-charge points will also be installed at least every 50 miles on the main road network to allow for longer electric vehicle journeys. The document was overseen by the Electric Vehicles Strategic Board set up by E-cosse, a partnership including the Scottish Government, industry and environmental charity WWF Scotland.
Dr Sam Gardner, head of policy for WWF Scotland, said: “The starting gun has now been fired for making electric cars a common sight on Scotland’s roads.
“Electric vehicles are a win-win for Scotland, helping to tackle climate change, improve air quality and support a renewable-rich power system.”
Transport Minister Keith Brown added: “The roadmap sets out a bold vision to replace petrol and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles by 2050 and requires a transformation in how we think about moving people and goods around.
“This transformation is absolutely vital to achieve our ambitious climate change targets.
“It will also help improve local air quality with a resultant improvement in public health and wellbeing and contribute toward further energising Scotland’s economy through opportunities for our flourishing green technology industries and our renewable energy sector.”