Electric cars 23 March 2010
He's electric...
Peter Kindersley divides his time between London and his organic farm Sheepdrove in Berkshire. He owns two G-Wiz all-electric cars.
Why did you buy an electric car?
We had two cars already - a Mercedes and a Prius - but I'm very aware of using them when I don't really need to.
The G-Wiz cost about £7000, but seems to cost nothing to run. It does the equivalent of 600mpg - that's pretty spectacular. I just charge it when I'm asleep and in the morning it's completely full.
I can do a round trip of 20 to 30 miles with ease.
Peter Kindersley
How's it different from a Prius?
A G-Wiz is an all-electric vehicle so it doesn't emit any CO2 emissions.
A Prius switches to fuel after 30mph.
But the G-Wiz's battery does need to be charged every night. It's a unique design.
People do look at you - they think it's a car that's got in the way of two London buses and been compressed.
Peter Kindersley
What would make more people buy electric cars?
I'm lucky as I have a garage in London. But a lot of people would have to charge it on the road.
I know someone who got permission from Lambeth Council to put a charging point on the pavement outside his house. That's the sort of thing that needs to start happening.
Around a quarter of all car trips in the UK are less than 2 miles. So the G-Wiz would suit hundreds of thousands of drivers who go very short distances.
How do you tackle climate change on your farm?
We're looking into new things all the time. For instance, all the chicken houses have powered feeders run from solar powered cells.
We're just about to put in a solar powered electric gate too.
The UK has to set an example for the rest of the world because it's amazing what happens when you start setting examples.
Peter Kindersley
Did you know?
In Westminster, electric cars:
- are exempt from the London congestion charge
- don't have to pay street parking charges
- can be refuelled for free from over 50 charging points throughout Westminster.
© Friends of the Earth
