Environmental Driving
The ups and downs of environmental driving
Being a green motorist in Britain in 2010 can be a bittersweet experience.
The uncanny sound of silence when you first turn the ignition key is a pleasing reminder of just how different an electric car is to a petrol-powered vehicle. And where exactly are the gears? Normal rules, clearly, do not apply.
That battery gauge on the dashboard takes some getting used to – staring accusingly you like Big Brother, it suddenly becomes even more importance than the speedometer.
Certainly the ‘range’ of an electric car – how far it can travel without being recharged – can cause anxiety. Driving while keeping an eye on the range can make you feel a bit like the driver in the film Speed who knows he has to drive at a certain speed to survive.
But to commit to environmental driving is to place yourself at the cutting edge of technology – a challenging but rewarding place to inhabit.
Own a green car and you will find that your interest in current affairs becomes more acute?
Will Mayor Boris Johnson back that scheme to have a fleet of electric cars in London? Will Britain adopt electric charging plates or fund new recharging points?
And of course, expense is an issue; Electric cars are not sold cheaply.
But they can be very cheap to use with 100 miles sometimes costing as little as 45p in electricity.
Expensive purchase versus cheap usage and low/no emissions. It’s just another typical choice in the world of environmental driving.
