London Planning Ultra Low Emission Zone

Or see what the Danes are doing in their capital. No private cars in certain areas. Lots of bikes already.

 

We need "grumpy's" argument in here........

 

Just recently heard on the radio Philly will be getting a bike sharing program in the coming year.

 

London is 10% of the population. They already have massive public transport infrastructure the rest of us can only dream of.

The most polluted street in the Western World already excludes private cars to a high degree. The problem lies with buses and taxis, both almost exclusively diesel powered. If there was some will to transfer the existing diesel taxi fleet to lpg (even if it requires a new engine etc) and new cabs as hydrogen or BEV, then that would help. The buses could also be alternatively powered like they are in a city near me, where they're introducing electric buses. They are working well and it is a pleasant surprise for one to pass you silently and smell free.

New Park&Ride sites with fleet of electric buses are officially opened (From York Press)
World’s first electric double decker bus launched in York

If there was a will in London to actually do something, then they could be doing it NOW. If a city near me with a significantly smaller percentage of funding than London can manage it, then why not the capital?

The most polluted street in the world is LONDON's Oxford Street, claims expert | Daily Mail Online

"Shopping on London’s bustling Oxford Street may be bad for your bank balance. But now there is evidence that it is detrimental to your health too, as it has been shown to have the highest levels of toxic air in the world."

 

Perfect timing! Even as London clamps down on emissions - Elen musk introduces Teslas's mongo super charger station to London. If I'm counting right - it looks like 8 stalls:
Tesla Unveils Largest Underground Supercharger Station


great news! even as Toyota is finally admitting the dumbness of pushing their hydrogen car - by admitting it'll happen somewhere within the next 100 years. Maybe they can work up another deal with Tesla, now that they're coming to their senses.
.

 

Thankfully Tesla, Nissan and Ecotricity in the UK are all introducing charge points in the UK. If they could work together a bit more we'd have a great network.

Tesla do seem committed to the UK market, though perhaps could advertise a little more. I know they have a zero advertising policy and whilst that may work in the US where they're always in the news (for whatever reason), over here they're not really known outside the EV enthusiast community.

 

But what good is spending money on advertising if everything you make is already sold?

 

For now. They're only selling a couple hundred S's each year and selling out for sure. They might sell out the X in similar low numbers, but these are all low compared to the US sales even accounting for population size. Rolls Royce don't advertise either and they're also happy selling 200 cars a year. But they're not hoping to become a mass producer of cars like Tesla are with their E or III (or whatever the latest name is).

I do like Tesla and like what they're doing to shake up the EV market. But a quick read of the largest UK EV forums shows that all is not rosy with their customer service or backup. I question whether Tesla UK are following the same fresh Tesla US culture and wonder if some top exec from the US should pop over and make sure things are not going astray before it's too late.

 

I can't say if their production capacity is currently maxed out or not, but Tesla is selling every car they make without advertising, not just in the UK.
It is also a $60,000 plus car. When they start shipping the 3 or cheaper model is when advertising might be needed.