BIG BATTERY BOOM IN EUROPE

Here in Australia electric cars are about as popular as a roast turkey dinner at the beach on a hot Xmas Day; or a parcel of prawns that have 'gone off ' in the sun!.

After flying into Amsterdam’s Schipol airport, the 40 minute drive to the splendid Hyatt Regency revealed that not only are Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) all the rage; but the city is subsidizing their use as taxis, in order to meet its Clean Air targets.

As you exit the terminal building, there appear to be wall-to-wall Tesla Model S taxis.

Now Hyundai is currently investing in establishing its new Ionic EV as a better alternative taxi to Tesla.

The Korean car certainly wins on price, operating costs and battery range.

But, the public too have embraced the BEV boom, with public charging stations dispersed around the canal city – and cables connected along the street, which in my mind are a hazard in themselves.

Here’s a taxi, a Volvo and VW Golf EVs charging up on an early Sunday morning.

But, from the sublime to the ridiculous, here’s the Renault Twizy EV (which actually labeled as a Quadricycle in France) parked outside Milano Centrale railway station.

However, just as electric vehicles are starting to catch on in Europe, here’s a cautionary tail from Norway, where a Tesla Model S self-ignited whilst charging. I think there’s a way to go before I could sign off on this technology.