elvh:electric_vehicles

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elvh:electric_vehicles [2025/12/05 10:12] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1elvh:electric_vehicles [2026/04/21 18:51] (current) – Dave Darby
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-# Electric vehicles+This topic is part of [[gt:transport|Transport & freight]]. 
 +====== Electric vehicles ======
  
  
-![](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/electric_vehicles.jpg)+![](wiki:electric_vehicles.jpg)
  
 --- ---
  
-> "EV charging can be an important source of flexible electricity demand to enable use of larger amounts of variable solar and wind energy on the grid." - [Lori Bird](https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/11/4-emerging-ways-pair-electric-vehicles-and-renewable-energy)+> "EV charging can be an important source of flexible electricity demand to enable use of larger amounts of variable solar and wind energy on the grid." - Lori Bird
  
      
  
-\[NB: We were very unsure whether to have this topic on the site ([see this article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/should-electric-vehicles-be-a-lowimpact-org-topic)). We don't think it's good to design society around the car – cars are enormously damaging to nature and communities, however they're powered, and they enrich extractive, democracy-destroying corporations. The topic is here because EVs are less damaging than internal-combustion vehicles, which isn't saying much.\]+\[NB: It's hard to imagine a transport commons, or an environmentally-friendly transport system, based on private cars ([see this article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/should-electric-vehicles-be-a-lowimpact-org-topic)). But EVs can provide public transport too, powered by local renewables, ideally via a transport and energy commons.\]
  
  
  
-## What are electric vehicles?+===== What are electric vehicles? =====
  
 Electric vehicles (EVs) are run by electric motors powered by on-board rechargeable batteries, rather than by fossil fuels (in the vehicle, anyway - the electricity to charge the battery is still often generated in fossil-fuelled power stations) - although there are hybrid vehicles that use both. There are four basic types of EV: Electric vehicles (EVs) are run by electric motors powered by on-board rechargeable batteries, rather than by fossil fuels (in the vehicle, anyway - the electricity to charge the battery is still often generated in fossil-fuelled power stations) - although there are hybrid vehicles that use both. There are four basic types of EV:
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 <caption> <caption>
-Starting.+_Starting._
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-The G-Wiz - quadricycle-type proto-electric car.+_The G-Wiz - quadricycle-type proto-electric car._
  
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 Another type of electric vehicle is powered by on-board fuel cells. These vehicles require a whole new hydrogen infrastructure rather than the existing National Grid. Another type of electric vehicle is powered by on-board fuel cells. These vehicles require a whole new hydrogen infrastructure rather than the existing National Grid.
  
-### History+==== History ====
  
 EVs have been around since the late 19th century, and the classic EV in the UK in the 20th century was the [milk float](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_float) (as an aside, in the 1960s the UK probably had more EVs than the rest of the world put together, and they were almost all milk floats). The development of modern EVs began to take off in the 1990s with little quadricycle-type vehicles - the most popular being the [G-Wiz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REVAi). Since 2010, major manufacturers have been developing and safety testing fully electric cars, and now there's a [range of different models available](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_electric_vehicles). See [here](https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/ev-market) for more on the growth in market share of electric vehicles. EVs have been around since the late 19th century, and the classic EV in the UK in the 20th century was the [milk float](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_float) (as an aside, in the 1960s the UK probably had more EVs than the rest of the world put together, and they were almost all milk floats). The development of modern EVs began to take off in the 1990s with little quadricycle-type vehicles - the most popular being the [G-Wiz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REVAi). Since 2010, major manufacturers have been developing and safety testing fully electric cars, and now there's a [range of different models available](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_electric_vehicles). See [here](https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/ev-market) for more on the growth in market share of electric vehicles.
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-Milk floats - old-school electric vehicles.+_Milk floats - old-school electric vehicles._
  
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-Charging.+_Charging._
  
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-## What are the benefits of electric vehicles?+===== What are the benefits of electric vehicles? =====
  
 First, see the paragraph in brackets at the top of this article, and bear in mind that the following benefits are in comparison with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. First, see the paragraph in brackets at the top of this article, and bear in mind that the following benefits are in comparison with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
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-Subaru lithium-ion car battery.+_Subaru lithium-ion car battery._
  
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-Public charging.+_Public charging._
  
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 - No emissions or noise from the vehicle when running on battery, which means cleaner air and a quieter environment in urban areas. - No emissions or noise from the vehicle when running on battery, which means cleaner air and a quieter environment in urban areas.
  
-Downsides to electric vehicles include the fact that they're more expensive (see below), but as with most things, prices will fall as uptake increases; and secondly, the market is controlled by the [corporate](/thde/the_democracy_problem), [growth](/stea/steady-state_economics)\-oriented world - something that we believe is inherently unsustainable (and undemocratic). At least the energy for EVs can potentially be generated locally from renewable sources, and doesn't have to be in the hands of giant oil companies. There are even books on how to build your own EV (see further resources), and so maybe manufacture can become more local and small-scale in future.+Downsides to electric vehicles include the fact that they're more expensive (see below), but as with most things, prices will fall as uptake increases; and secondly, the market is controlled by the [corporate](/demo/democracy), [growth](pgec:post-growth)\-oriented world - something that we believe is inherently unsustainable (and undemocratic). At least the energy for EVs can potentially be generated locally from renewable sources, and doesn't have to be in the hands of giant oil companies. There are even books on how to build your own EV (see further resources), and so maybe manufacture can become more local and small-scale in future.
  
 <WRAP center centeralign> <WRAP center centeralign>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Charging a Nissan Leaf - pioneer electric car.+_Charging a Nissan Leaf - pioneer electric car._
  
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 First, give up / share your car if you can. If you can't, then make your current vehicle last as long as you can. Then, if you decide to go electric: First, give up / share your car if you can. If you can't, then make your current vehicle last as long as you can. Then, if you decide to go electric:
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-Electric cars for beginners.+_Electric cars for beginners._
  
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-The world’s first electric car – the Flocken Electrowagen of 1888.+_The world’s first electric car – the Flocken Electrowagen of 1888._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 <caption> <caption>
-Home charging - electric car and motorbike.+_Home charging - electric car and motorbike._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## Further resources+===== Forum =====
  
-### EVs+This topic belongs to the section [[gt:transport|Transport & freight]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/transport). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources ===== 
 + 
 +==== EVs ====
  
 - [Zapmap](https://www.zap-map.com/): latest stats, and maps of charging points - [Zapmap](https://www.zap-map.com/): latest stats, and maps of charging points
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 - [Build your own electric car](https://www.instructables.com/Build-your-own-Electric-Car/) - [Build your own electric car](https://www.instructables.com/Build-your-own-Electric-Car/)
  
-### Reducing car use+==== Reducing car use ====
  
 - [12 best ways to get cars out of cities](https://theconversation.com/12-best-ways-to-get-cars-out-of-cities-ranked-by-new-research-180642) - [12 best ways to get cars out of cities](https://theconversation.com/12-best-ways-to-get-cars-out-of-cities-ranked-by-new-research-180642)
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-## Specialist(s)+ 
 +===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [Green electricity](grel:green_electricity) 
 +- [Low-impact transport](litr:transport) 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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