Commentary: Electric cars — It’s the economy, stupid!

LONDON (Reuters.com) — Much as I would like to say that I bought my electric car over two years ago to single-handedly save the planet, the reality is much less noble. I like to drive. I like to have my own personal space, to listen to the radio and to think. Perhaps it was growing up in South Africa where everyone who could drove a car.

As Bill Clinton said: “It’s the economy, stupid.” The arrival of the congestion charge in central London in July 2005, and my dislike of the Underground system, is what prompted the thought of it. It’s been quite calming driving past the petrol stations lately, watching the price go up on a daily basis. I think that the UK has one of the highest petrol prices in the world with an average price now around 1.20 pounds a liter ($9 a gallon).

Reuters