Paula and Charles Mossman attended the Green Vehicle Show in Sidmouth on the 17th March organised by
Sid Valley Energy Action Group.

The purpose of the show was to demonstrate that the way we drive, and what we choose to drive, affects our driving costs… and, of course, our carbon emissions. 

There was a wide range of fully electric, hybrid and fuel efficient "eco" cars on display as well as a host of electric bikes. We were able to sit in the vehicles and discuss their performance with sales staff in a nonpressured manner. We saw Ecotricity's demonstration charging point of the type being installed at Welcome Break outlets, in the free network (The Electric Highway) across UK's motorways. Exeter is already connected to London, The Midlands, and the North West (as far as Lancashire) by this system.

We were fortunate to meet and have a long discussion with an Okehampton town councillor who is working towards having a fast charging point for electric vehicles fitted in Okehampton. She owns an electric car, a Nissan Leaf, and a diesel. She uses the Leaf for local runs and the diesel for longer journeys. So far, in the time she has owned the Leaf she has driven it over 8000 miles, and her other car less than a 1000. This shows most of her journeys, and probably ours too, are local and well within the driving range of a modern electric car. She recharges her Leaf at home and, as its batteries are seldom running low, it rarely takes her more than a couple of hours to fully charge them ready for her next journey.