Now is the time to spark your interest in electric vehicles

Ditching your petrol or diesel car in favour of an electric alternative could make you significant savings with the help of Government incentives.

According to experts, the cost of owning an electric vehicle (EV) even without this support is set to come in line with that of traditional fuel-driven cars by 2025.

By purchasing an EV now, drivers can take advantage of both the incentives and very low running costs and enjoy the near-silent power and extended ranges of the latest models.

Joe Fergusson, Microgeneration Consultant at Bell Ingram, is a specialist in the sector and has developed a methodology for auditing the use of vehicles of all kinds, from quad bikes and cars to delivery vehicles, thereby illustrating the feasibility of substituting EVs.

He said: “The time is right for those whose vehicle use patterns match certain criteria relating to daily mileage and payload requirements to join the electric revolution.

“It’s projected that the total cost of ownership of new EVs will match those of equivalent internal combustion engine vehicles by about 2025. By then the financial incentives offered now should no longer be required.

“At the moment grants to dealers of £4,500 (£2,500 for hybrid EVs) for the growing list of eligible vehicles and, in Scotland, interest-free loans to purchasers, plus subsidised electricity at most public charge points in Scotland and grant-assisted charge point installation, will bridge the gap for many.”

At the end of 2017 Scotland had over 900 public, free-to-use charging bays, although over 95% of all charging is reported to take place at home overnight.

Around £80m was recently allocated to support the expansion of the UK’s charge point infrastructure, with £7.8m offered to businesses to get chargers installed in their car parks, depots, farmyards and homes.

By making the switch to EVs drivers can massively reduce their running costs, to around 3-5p compared to 10-20p per mile, as well as providing cheaper servicing, protection from future air-quality-related tolls, tax incentives on purchase and benefits-in-kind and zero road tax. Owning an EV will also reduce poisonous emissions in built-up areas and your carbon footprint.

However, alongside the benefits of battery-fuelled vehicles Joe believes that there are some concerns about the demands on the National Grid.

He said: “There are fears about the National Grid not being able to cope with charging demand as EV numbers rise. However, these are probably unfounded and in time the combined battery capacity of the nation’s fleet of EVs will become an integral and crucial part of the power grid.

“The daily consumption of most EVs will be between 4 to 20kWh whilst having about 50kWh of battery capacity, so with plenty to spare to top up the grid through short bursts of peak demand. A premium tariff will be paid to EV owners for providing this facility. 

“Some electricity suppliers are now also offering special lower supply tariffs to users of EVs. Other technologies such as hydrogen-fuelled fuel cell vehicles and wireless charging will tweak the landscape over time but anyone buying a current-model EV should not be disappointed.”

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Brexit could result in more Scottish farmers switching their attention towards organic production

Brexit could result in more Scottish farmers switching their attention towards organic production, according to a leading land expert Malcolm Taylor.

Malcolm Taylor, Head of Land Management at Bell Ingram, believes that continuing uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, coupled with the likely elevated environmental constraints introduced post-EU breakup, will make organic farming a more attractive option.

He feels that the growing evidence of consumer-led demand for organic and ‘superfood’ products will lead to more farmers focussing on the attractions of organic production.

Malcolm said: “There is no secret that organic farming is not for everybody, but with Brexit uncertainty, budget cuts and pressure on inputs, there might be an opportunity for increased organic production.

“There has already been a rapid growth in the establishment of blueberries in Angus, which reflects the interest in so called super fruits and healthy living.

“I am not advocating a complete swing to alternative production but with careful marketing, it might be that there is an expanding niche for organic production.”

Malcolm recently spent two weeks in Minnesota, and explored how other farmers employed different techniques in their areas.

Organic sales in Minnesota rank ninth in the US, with huge growth in the sector which is reflected across the country.

Back across the pond, in the UK, sales of organic foods grew by 7.1 percent in September.

The growing trend for health foods, coupled with the fact that farmers are likely to have to pay far more attention to environmental issues to qualify for subsidies post-Brexit, mean that many may consider cultivating organic produce.

Water quality rules are likely to become stricter, so a reduction in fertiliser and sprays will make organic production a more attractive option. In addition, good sward management will be the key to profitable cattle and sheep finishing.Malcolm continued: “Cost control is going to be ever more important post-Brexit.

“We are going to have to be more creative and adventurous, and if organic production grows, who knows what might follow?

“More free-range poultry and pigs, GM crops, minimum tillage for crops? What is clear, is that we can’t do something simply because it’s always been done that way.

“What Brexit has created is the drive for all of us to need to look at what we do and how and why we do it.”

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Article posted on 09/01/2018