Dame (Chesham and Amersham)
(Con): I did not have an opportunity to serve in
Committee, but I am privileged to be the chairman of the
all-party group on electric and automated vehicles. Would the
Minister care to comment on the latest apps, such as that which
allows Tesla drivers to plug in their vehicle when renewables are
being used, thereby reducing the cost of electric motoring even
further and, more importantly, making electric motoring very,
very green?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(Jesse Norman): My right hon. Friend will be aware that
one of the purposes of a smart grid is precisely to allow people
to recharge their car at the most cost-effective time. I recently
had the opportunity to drive a Tesla, and it is extraordinary how
the car is continually updated with patches that can reduce its
impact on the atmosphere and improve other aspects of driving in
a very green way.
(South Thanet)
(Con): I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving
way; he is being very generous with his time. As he got the Bill
to its current state, did he consider that perhaps we have
started the whole basis of the electrification of cars and
batteries at the wrong point? The trouble is we are beyond this
point already, as we have a Tesla-style battery, a Lexus-style
battery and batteries by other manufacturers. Would it not have
been more sensible and better if the current network of petrol
stations had been places where we could simply change the
battery? That could have been done in an instant, or within a
minute or two, rather than waiting for this long charge system. I
am concerned that the manufacturers have started us off on the
wrong basis. Perhaps it is not too late to get us back on
track...
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