Driving Down Electric Avenue

Your green promises:

Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Oliver Marcus, London >> Stop wasting resources, Ness Backs, New York >> Consume more plant-based foods, Chana Tzi, L.A., Ca., USA >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetables, Holly Weisfeld, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Visit a lot of eco-sites, Maria Kamutzki, Berlin >> I won't litter, Joel Austin, Pinner >> Be more eco friendly, Connor Buchalter, Hatch End >> Re-use water bottles so less waste, David, Middx >> I won't waste water anymore, Ben Green, Hach End >> Help my dad recycle everyday, Phoebe Decker, Northwood >> Turn electrical things off when I have finished using them, Talia Austin, Pinner >> Not to waste food, Joshua Roson, Rickmansworth >> Eat fairtrade chocolate, Josie Sacks, Pinner >> Bike/walk to places not to far away, Zoe Buchalter, Hatch End >> Recycle plastic bags when I go shopping, Sophie Scholl, Moor Park >> Take and re-use our own plastic bags when we go shopping, Cass Family, Harrow >> Not waste paper, Jed Gaffin, Northwood >> Walk to school more, Lea Abrahams, Pinner >> To be more careful with water, Max Abrahams, Pinner >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Ellie Roston, Rickmansworth >> Try and ride my bike as much as I can, Zack Bluestone, Stanmore >> Walk to from school everyday, Meiron Avidan, Stanmore >> Use tap water instead of bottled, Rianna Roston, Earth >> Turn everything off, not leave it on standby, Lewis Decker, Northwood >> Put my rubbish in the bin, Aron Bhalla, Harrow >> I will put my rubbish in the bin, Seth Bhalla, Harrow >> I will not watch the same thing as my brother on a different TV, Ilana Braham, Northwood >> Our family will walk to places if it is less than 2miles, the Garland family, Pinner >> Don't use sandwich bags for packed lunch, David Braham, Northwood >> Switch off lights when I am not using them, Matthew Rodin, London >> To walk and get the train more, Steph Leigh, Watford >> Not to litter and put rubbish in the bin, Jacob Lauder, Harrow >> Help put out the recycling more, Rachel Bard, Hertfordshire >> To put my cans in a recycle bin, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Walk to the bus stop, Matti Brooks, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> I pledge to water my plants with a watering can and not waste water, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> Make more things e.g sculptures instead of just putting them in the bin, Minnie Diamond, Bushey >> I shall turn off lights and T.V. when not needed on, Harrry Rubin, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Harry Rubin 5 Beech, Herts, London >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Katie Moss, Radlett >> Only flush the chain when I need to, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Ride on my bike at least once a day, Sophie Pollock, Borehamwood, Herts >> Grow my own fruit and vegetables in the garden, Isabelle Copeland, Bushey >> Don't leave lights on, Rebecca A, Herts >> Use energy efficent light bulbs!, Dov Colman, Borhamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Josh Zucker, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jake Murray, Borehamwood >> To not leave the shower running!, Lauren Seres, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Tyler Freedman, Bushey >> Do more recycling and help my mum sort out the waste, Maddie Freedman, Bushey >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joseph White, Radlett, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Zoe Klein, Hertfordshire >> turn off the plugs in my bedroom, Oliver Rothstein, Adlenham, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Nina Freedman, Borehamwood >> Take showers instead of baths, Harry Singler, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Harry Black, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Mrs Myers, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Daniel Simmons, Radlett >> Not to turn lights on if it is not neeeded, Etienne Dean, Borehamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Leah Gorb, Bushey >> Use bits of junk around the house to make something & to not throw it in the bin, Sophie Pollock >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Natalie Maurer, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Rebecca Selt, Radlett >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Avital Cohen, Borehamwood >> Recycle my household waste, Max Bean, Bushey >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Talia N, Hertfordshire >> Recycle my household waste, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Kezia Blakeley, Hertfordshire >> Don't buy herbs if you can grow them, Emily Sterman, Hertfordshire >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Joshua Silver, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Kosmin, St Albans >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Green, Borehamwood >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Jacqueline Sefton, Bushey >> Take showers instead of baths, Sophie Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Joshua, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Benjamin Isaac, Herts >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Abby Rosen, Elstree >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Amanda Finestone, Borehamwood >> Try to have a shower instead of a bath and will not sing in the shower for too long, Sadie, Hertfordshire >> Cycle at least once a day, Jamie Cooper, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, holly, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Michelle Hertz, Stanmore >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, nicola weisfeld, hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Holly Weisfeld, Hertfortshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joshua Collins, Hertfordshire >> Eat less meat, Stephen Scott, London >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Hannah, London >> Continue to educate myself and others in ways of taking care of our earth, Raven Moon, Connecticut >> Try to live on less and take pleasure in the effort, Erich Connell, Greenville, NC >> I will be a vegertarian on a weekly basis, Lee-Ann, Tauyuan, Taiwan >> I promise to make sure all recyclable items go in the recycling and not in the bin, Lara Gordon, London >> I will try to keep recycling my clothes and not buy too many new ones, L.Bratter, North London >> I promise to recycle by altering my clothes, Anita Lancet, London >>

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Driving Down Electric Avenue

Serendipity! Wife Michelle's car dies and a day later I hear that 3OO new generation electric and hybrid cars will be available to the general public. "I'll have some of that," I say.

The department of trade and industry which, with the department of transport, was offering the cars, promptly stated that it is "not us, guv," but that I could try some of the car companies taking part in the trial.

"Great" thought I. Electric car

"Hello, is that Peugeot?"

"Yes sir, it is."

"May I have one of these free electric cars made available to the public?"

"No, you may not."

"Why?" I asked, "I'm public."

"Sorry, they've all gone to people in the firm."

And so it was with BMW I quickly learned that 'public' does not mean you and me - the electorate and taxpayer. It means people who are connected. And there is something wrong about that.

Unable to track down Lord Adonis, then Labour transport secretary, I contacted WriteToThem.com, a glorious website that puts you in contact with parliamentarians. Six weeks later, WriteToThem inquired whether I had been successful in contacting the minister. I said "Alas, no."

Within two weeks I received a letter dated November, thanking me for my 'recent' inquiry in July! Mentioning that my inquiry as a journalist related to how available trial models were to the public, as opposed to MPs, people within the motor industry and their friends, did seem to engender a degree of interest in helping me obtain one of the cherished vehicles.

Within days it was confirmed that a car - a Merc no less - would be mine.

And so came the car. It was great. It was exciting. It was my very own, on loan, electric car. It was a car so new that no manual had been written for it.

Driving the Smart Car was a surreal experience. Not since I got a mobile phone was I so proud of something so small. With the boot space of a bicycle, going on a shopping trip with my missus-was a delight and pleasure. While the front of the car was spacious, a little more foot room on the driver's side would have been nice. As would an easier to close door. The Smart car runs smoothly on flat roads. However, it struggles on steep and hilly roads such as Totteridge Lane. The lack of sound or any bite points was particularly unnerving when bay parking or stopping on hills. Fear of suppressing the accelerator pedal remained for quite a time as I could not "feel" the car being in motion. This is the car for people who drive-within the speed limit. The top speed is stated to be 72mph. I found the car laboured at 6Omph.

Michelle s biggest worry was taking the car, which has an 8O-mile range, on any journey more than five miles in case she ran out of power. With Brent Cross Shopping Centre and the Watford Harlequin Centre out of reach, I truly understood how this car was not only economic to run but would save me money.

Charging up the car was a nightmare. The battery coil, which I was assured would reach far, had the spring recoil tension of Usain Bolt and snapped back, pulling the plug out of the socket. With an extension lead we overcome this problem but found that an hour's charge hardly caused a wobble on the power availability gauge. So unless you have a lock-up garage an overnight charge comes with an invitation to burglars to rob your home while you are in bed. Technology must be in place to use kinetic energy, or capacitors, to store up energy generated by the car in motion for later use.

Despite its niggling faults, the Merc Smart car is a great little car to drive. Its built-in sat nav, sound and Bluetooth system make it ideal for congested roads and avoiding the London Congestion Charge.

I've no idea how much one of these cars would cost. I just hope that the electric car does not give me an electric shock when I find out.

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You can see the original article as a PDF here.

Harris Rosenberg has written many articles on varied topics, including environmental issues and saving money on your home. Two of his articles on saving money on your household bills are available here - one from the Jewish Tribune and one from the Company Secretary's Factbook Bulletin.

Harris is finding more ways to be green, save money and even MAKE money...

Harris is among the first residents of Barnet to take advantage of Energise Barnet's community initiative to enable Barnet residents to benefit from Government Feed-in-Tariffs, whereby property owners receive tax free and index linked payments guaranteed for 25 years for generating their own solar electricity plus a reduction in energy bills. Find out more here.

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