Quote Originally Posted by Rjk View Post
Electric cars are becoming quite popular over there, probably see at least as many as here, Tesla's and Chinese manufacturers as well.

It's definitely attractive for net oil importing nations, as with petrol or diesel there is a constant bleeding of money out of the country to places they produce oil
Electric cars are much more efficient so less fossil fuel is used to charge a car than would be used in petrol for it to travel the same distance. That's also ignroing the fact that the energy mix in countries (even China) fossil fuel use is decreasing every year and renewables and nuclear are on the increase making them even more environmentally friendly.

The main reason electric car use is encouraged in city centres though is simply because the air is cleaner. Better to keep the noxious air out near remote power stations than where people are shopping and working.

Even if you take into account that building an electric car produces more CO2 (mainly due to the battery production) studies have shown over it's lifetime an electric car would still be responsible for only 80% of the emissions of a petrol car.