http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/cycling-federation-slams-electric-car-subsidies
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
"Cycling Federation slams electric car subsidies"
(16 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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"Earlier this week German chancellor Angela Merkel announced the German cabinet’s support for the electric bike industry, aiming to have one million electric bikes on the cars by 2020 with a €2 billion investment for R&D in the sector.
The ECF said the ‘one million e-car by 2020’ target was insubstantial in a country that has 42 million cars on the road, so electric cars would only represent two per cent of the market share"
What on earth does this mean? Support for the electric bike industry sounds like a good thing to me. Then they start going on about cars. :-?
Posted 12 years ago # -
The Germans are looking to the export market...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Min, there must have been a typo in the article. It now says "electric cars on the road", not, "electric bikes on the cars".
Posted 12 years ago # -
From last year: Scottish budget: Cash for electric cars, but cycling left to scrap for cash.
What's the betting that this policy will continue? After all it suits car drivers and the renewables industry. Cycling? That's a leisure hobby isn't it?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"E-cars won't solve congestion, says president of Bicycle Association"
Posted 12 years ago # -
"E-cars won't solve congestion, says president of Bicycle Association"
Even as a committed cyclist my immediate reaction to that quote is "well he would say that wouldn't he".
Wasted breath, when the presidents of car associations start saying things like that is when it'll be useful, until then it's preaching to the converted and being discarded as biased by everyone else unfortunately :-/Posted 12 years ago # -
"preaching to the converted and being discarded as biased by everyone else unfortunately"
I half agree with that, but the bike industry didn't used to think it was anything to do with 'transport'. Also now the main motoring organisations are much mote in favour of bikes - particularly in urban areas.
May be a while until they quite as sceptical about electric cars.
It will be interesting to see how much Scottish Government is going to "invest" in charging points as part of its renewable energy (electricity only?) strategy.
And to think Edinburgh used to manufacture electric cars.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
carltonreid:Sweden finds electric cars are driven more (cos people feel virtuous) so transport emissions rise: http://bit.ly/lnklnh
Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/carltonreid/status/91419563622805504
"
Posted 12 years ago # -
I'd point and laugh only I know full well that the UK will not learn from this and will follow blindly in Sweden's tracks, as we are already doing by subsidising drivers to buy electric cars.
Posted 12 years ago # -
If Westminster wants to provide £5000 to help me buy an electric-assist Quest velomobile, I would be extremely happy.
But that's cycling and recumbents and zero-VED and promoting non-UK manufacture, so obviously deviant in the extreme.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hmm, I'd sign up for that. It would replace a bunch of car journeys for us and wouldn't even need charging infrastructure.
We'd need a garage though...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I saw an electric folding-type bike this evening, sub-Brompton sized wheels, being not-pedalled along the pavement at the bottom of Dundas Street.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I was passed on Ravelrig Hill (aka Heartattack Hill) the other night. I had worked up some speed and was then going down the gears and standing up to try not to grind to a halt [it is a steep hill] when thus chap came passed me quite the thing. No sweat, gentle pedalling, tremendous momentum. I was about to throw in the towel when he said - Don't worry, I am cheating. I am glad he made this kindly reference as I doubt I would have spotted he was on an Our Friends Electric.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The word on the street is that Brompton have a sophisticated electric assist system on the way.
Posted 12 years ago #
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