[PaddyB]

Personally I have no real problem with electric cars and (like it or not) we will all be driving them in the decades to come (even if we aren't watching them race). 

Not me Paddy Not in my lifetime, if I can help it!

I'll always have a petrol engined car even if / when we are forced to buy electric ones there will also be a petrol engined car in my household. It makes me laugh, always used to have this debate with a guy in the office at the last place I was contracting. He was as "eco warrior" as they come (lovely bloke, actually) and he drove a Zoe (I think it was). He used to get quite upset when I told him his car was as eco unfriendly as mine but his Zoe did all it's polluting at the point of production of energy rather than the point of consumption of energy. Until the world has 100% clean renewable electricity this will *always* be the case.

Don't believe the hype blindly.

I agree that the analysis has to be done on a "cradle to grave" or as one of my colleagues says "soup to nuts" basis and believe me when i say i don't believe the hype for anything unless it passes a dose of "well that's utter bollocks" critical thinking. 

I am however a realist and the introduction of hybrid and then full electric cars  is the only way this is all heading for most people. I agree that it will be nice to still have transport that will work "when the leccy goes off".

I also suspect that over time petrol (diesel less so because the lorries, tractors etc will still use it) will become more difficult to get hold of a bit like "leaded" did.  Not many options for those who don't want to be running a "classic" car in the future (like my mates 2.8i capri which he had to have converted with a tear in his eye to "Unleaded").

Probably a different thread to be honest.