13 July 2016
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Out-going Chair of UCC Greens, Justin Fleming, said that the Lord Mayor driving an electric car would mean that Cork would be “leading by example” in response to climate change and peak oil.
Mr Fleming said, “Petrol and diesel cars are ‘dead cars driving’ in the sense that they represent short-term thinking. One day fossil fuels will run out, so we should be – and our leaders certainly should be – pre-empting this and acting now to avoid a desperate scramble in future.”
Cork City Council have a long-established partnership with the Ford motor company, who provide the Lord Mayor’s car. Ford have a range of suitable electric vehicles.
There are strong health arguments especially against diesel-fueled vehicles, with emissions being proven to lead to premature deaths from respiratory and heart disease.
Although the upfront price for an electric car is higher than a normal car, this is outweighed by the maintenance and fuel costs being substantially lower.
In Europe, 500,000 electric cars and vans are currently registered, with Norway taking the lead with 105,000 vehicles registered since 2004.
Mr Fleming added that, “Cork can save a lot of money and can attract investment and tourists by marketing itself as a leader in innovation and sustainable transport.”
