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Electric Vehicles: a personal journey

Susie Morrow MSc DPhil

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London context

● Growing population

● Falling car ownership● Mayor’s Transport Strategy: aiming for mode

shift to walking, cycling and public transport

● Growing recognition of having externalised costs of motor traffic

● Air pollution not the only public health challenge

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Grant Road, Clapham Junction – Inner London transport hub

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Colonisation of Grant Road footway – May 2012

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Grant Road, September 2014

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Grant Road, March 2018

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Sociable walking in Grant Road?

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Greener than what?

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Horses for Courses

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A Tesla Model 3 has 450 horsepower

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… or 1350 donkey power or 4500 human power

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Resource use & environmental degradation (elsewhere)

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Local effects of electric cars that get little attention….● Air pollution: particulates - tyre, road (+ brake

wear)…. Road wear proportional to the fourth power of axle weight

● Road danger – stifling effect on active travel

● Opportunity cost of colonising kerbs with motor vehicles rather than social uses e.g. parklets

● Non-inclusive mode of transport

● Congestion: how will shift to electric cars help buses to move through London’s streets?

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Questions arising for me

● What problem(s) are we trying to solve?● Who are the beneficiaries?

● What might be the unintended consequences?

● What does this tell us about decision makers’ priorities for our streets?

● How can we ensure our streets make active travel the easy option for everyone?

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Susie Morrow Electric Vehicles: a personal journey

Credits: 3 Streetmap, 4-6 Google Streetview, 7 S Morrow, 8 Tesla, 9 wikipedia, 10 Tim Flach, 11 S Morrow, 12 http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth