Additional Subscriber: Why ask “what are you driving?” Has become a hot political topic Car News

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What car are you driving? This is a seemingly innocuous question, but one that seems to have caused trouble for various politicians in recent times.

Indeed, while government policy strongly urges a ban on the sale of all new non-zero emission vehicles by 2035 in an effort to cut UK carbon emissions, not all politicians seem eager to embrace change.

Recently, on Newsnight, Alok Sharma admitted he owns a diesel car – although he pointed out that he doesn’t drive it much, instead using public transport to get from his home in Reading to Westminster every day. . He also said his next car “will most definitely be” an electric vehicle. Yet given that Sharma is the chair of the COP26 climate summit, and therefore a key figure in the government’s drive to cut UK carbon output, his revelation has been questioned by many.

Meanwhile, Allegra Stratton, the Prime Minister’s climate spokesperson, said she was driving a “third-hand diesel Golf” because she did not “fancy” an electric vehicle yet. She spoke about the need for occasional trips to visit her parents, who live more than 200 miles away, and raised concerns that long breaks to recharge along the way are needed.

Now Sharma and Stratton are not alone. BBC News produced a roundup of vehicles driven by various political types, showing that adoption of electric vehicles was slow across the political spectrum. (It should be noted that Keir Starmer drives a hybrid and Grant Shapps owns a Tesla.) Among the various responses the BBC received were many “we’re working on” responses, with suggestions on the need to define the details of load. points, and so on.

The frustration is that many of the various reasons given for not going zero emissions are not rooted in the realities of modern electric vehicles. If Sharma uses her car very little and uses public transport for long journeys, an EV seems like an ideal solution. And Stratton’s 200-mile trip is easily within the capabilities of several mainstream electric vehicles now available, likely allowing him to find more convenient charging closer to his destination.