Electric vehicles 'will not solve transport problem'

The Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions has warned that car use will still need to be curbed even when all vehicles are powered by clean electricity.

The centre’s new report states that electrifying cars will not address traffic jams, urban sprawl and wasted space for parking, and says that the government should devise a strategy allowing people to have a good standard of living without needing a car.

The government is currently spending £2 billion to promote walking and cycling whilst planning to spend £50 billion on improving roads. However, critics, including CREDS, accuse the government of not having a serious plan to deal with the social problems associated with mass car ownership.

The report says that the government must shift its focus from trying to meet demand by increasing road space to reducing demand instead.

While here will always be people who depend on cars, especially in the countryside or suburbs, many young people in cities are choosing not to buy cars. Instead they are using public transport, walking, cycling, taking minicabs and hiring cars when they are needed, meaning more active lifestyles, lower obesity, pollution and road danger levels.