To the Editor,                                                                                                  

According to his Wikipedia biography, Bjorn Lomborg is a well-known climate change sceptic whose writings and broadcasts have been widely criticised by the scientific community. Attempts to set up a “consensus centre” headed by Lomborg in two Australian universities. funded by the Abbott Government, were met with outrage by academics and failed. His position at Stanford University is within the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. a right-wing think-tank which seems an unlikely base for pronouncements on climate change and electric vehicles. When quoting from other sources and reports, Lomborg has a reputation for cherry-picking information to suit his arguments.

This is obvious in the article on electric cars reproduced from The Australian.

Lomborg poses the following criticisms of EVs without actually stating the specific sources he uses:

 they should not need subsidies

 they should not be protected by bans on petrol and diesel cars

 they emit significant carbon pollution

 they are heavy, dangerous and cause particle pollution

 their lifetime costs will be greater than petrol and diesel cars.

 they will only be used as second cars

Lomborg makes these claims without acknowledging that there are many scientific reports and user reports that contradict his sweeping claims. With nearly three years’ experience of owning and driving an electric car, it is obvious to me that many of his claims have no basis in reality and reflect his lack of experience with an electric car. 

Since the transport sector is responsible for 20-30% of greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations and many national governments are advocating and planning to replace fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles, helping to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To speed this transition, some subsidies and incentives are being offered. This is no different to the subsidies which have been used to accelerate the adoption of roof top solar power. Three million Australian households have accepted those subsidies which however are being gradually phased out. Subsidies for early adopters create a viable market which will become self-sustaining.

National and State governments have realised the need for a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and for a strong signal to automobile makers to transition to electric vehicles; hence the plans for mandatory bans on sale of new fossil fuel vehicles in future years. The aim is principally about reduction of fossil fuel vehicles rather than promotion of electric vehicles.

My own electric car uses the energy equivalent of 1.9 litres of petrol per 100 km. The electricity I use from the grid is increasingly coming from wind and solar energy, not fossil fuels. Some owners use 100% rooftop solar power and all companies installing roadside chargers claim that they use only renewable energy. Any claim that electric car charging is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is nonsense.

It is true that electric cars are heavier than traditional vehicles but their modern design incorporates the latest electronic driver assistance that makes them much safer. Tesla has provided statistics which show that increased use of driver assistance such as cruise control and autopilot definitely reduces the accident rate. I can confirm that my own car has reduced the possibility of collision with other cars, cyclists and pedestrians. The use of cruise control and regenerative braking vastly reduces the use of wheel brakes so any concern about brake dust is also nonsense. Likewise, the 52,000 km life of my tyres confirms that electric cars are not larger sources of rubber pollution.

My experience has shown that the running costs of electric cars – energy, tyres and servicing are significantly lower than equivalent fossil fuel cars. -Some drivers have reported their electric car still running on the original battery after 500,000 km. The monthly energy costfor our electric car is $160 less than fuel for an equivalent petrol car. Despite the higher purchase price, I have no doubt that the lifetime cost of an electric car will be lower than a fossil fuel car.

As more roadside charging points are installed, range anxiety is disappearing and electric cars will be used to cover long distances. My wife and I have made a return trip to Melbourne without difficulty and our electric car is always used in preference to our old hybrid car. There are now numerous accounts of electric car trips around Australia. The news that the Sunswift team from UNSW has set a new world-record (awaiting ratification) of 1000 km in 12 hours on a single charge in a solar powered car is a foretaste of what will be achieved by standard cars in future.

Arthur Hunt