The government’s climate spokesperson says she does not drive an electric car because her current diesel-powered vehicle better suits her needs.
Allegra Stratton admitted she drives a ‘third-hand’ Volkswagen Golf because she is put off by the current public EV charging infrastructure for long journeys.
In an interview with Times Radio, she said having to stop to recharge on longer jaunts – such as to Scotland or Gloucestershire from her home in north London – would increase the overall journey time.
“I don’t fancy it just yet. They’re all journeys that I think would be at least one quite long stop to charge,” said Stratton. She added that an electric car would become a more viable option if “the stop times for recharging improve so much that it’s half an hour”.
‘Views are a myth’
Her comments have been criticised by the automotive industry. Typically, new electric vehicles have a range of at least 200 miles between recharges.
Edmund King, the president of the AA, hit back at Stretton’s comments and accused her of peddling a myth surrounding range.
“Unfortunately, too many views on EVs are a myth, based on hype and unwarranted range anxiety,” he told The Times.
“Even on a rare journey of over 200 miles the driver should stop to take a break anyway for road safety reasons, so why not combine it with a rapid charge that takes just 20 minutes to go from a quarter charge to over 80 percent?”
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