Lithium Catalyst: London 'ultra-low' emissions zone will be world first

  

  We have been talking for years about the Tipping Point for Electric Cars. The reality is that it will come only with volume of mass production. Tesla Model S with all its enormous torque will not get us there alone, but China and India will. 

  The pollution outbreak in China shows that Electric Cars are the only viable way to combine the right to personal freedom of mobility and urban living in the most densely populated areas in the world. London takes the lead today and now we expect the other European capitals to follow after years of talking about it. 

  Technology is here: pure Electric Cars and Plug-In Hybrids. We will need the serious ones with the Electric Range of at least 20 miles to comply with this kind of regulation. All these cars will be carrying Lithium Batteries. Now the Asian expansion in the Lithium sector is making more sense for the outsiders.

Lithium to the Rescue - Pollution Levels in Beijing Extremely Hazardous

 "Will Electric Cars be recognised now as the rescue and the only viable way forward? When the main questions about the cars will be Not How Far and How Much, But Whether It Is Safe?"

Real Time Beijing Air Quality

Lithium Rush: The Art Of War In The Markets: China Getting Ready For 5 Million Electric Cars by 2020

"We are talking a lot about the economic benefits of electric cars here, and that they will be the only economically viable solution for our personal  mobility after the Oil Crunch. Unfortunately, there is another side of the oil - nobody is talking enough about, oil kills and not only on the battle fields far away during the "liberation" military occupations, but literally on the streets every day. If this price was seriously accounted among the other considerations about electric cars, we think, that our tipping point for the mass market for electric cars would be already here.

  We all have the right for the Clean Air, but why not on the streets? We do not think that the air quality in Los Angeles is any better than it is in London - all mega cities in the world are killing thousands of their residents by allowing to drive ICE cars slowly day by day."

Clean Air and Electric Cars: Traffic pollution kills 5,000 a year in UK - Exhaust fumes are twice as deadly as roads

  "We are talking a lot about the economic benefits of electric cars here, and that they will be the only economically viable solution for our personal  mobility after the Oil Crunch. Unfortunately, there is another side of the oil - nobody is talking enough about, oil kills and not only on the battle fields far away during the "liberation" military occupations, but literally on the streets every day. If this price was seriously accounted among the other considerations about electric cars, we think, that our tipping point for the mass market for electric cars would be already here.

  We all have the right for the Clean Air, but why not on the streets? We do not think that the air quality in Los Angeles is any better than it is in London - all mega cities in the world are killing thousands of their residents by allowing to drive ICE cars slowly day by day."

London Evening Standard:

London 'ultra-low' emissions zone will be world first

13 February 2013

The world’s first ultra-low emissions zone for cars, buses and lorries is to be introduced in central London in a bid to improve air quality by 2020.

Transport for London is drawing up plans for almost all vehicles driving into the existing congestion charge zone to be low or zero emission.

Boris Johnson today set out his vision for the capital’s streets with hybrid buses, low-emission lorries and electric cars and taxis.

Green groups welcomed the proposals but called on the Mayor to bring in the zone immediately. He has been accused of failing to bring down levels of nitrogen dioxide — linked to lung disease and asthma — and other dangerous gases and particulates.

City Hall aides admitted privately it would be difficult to persuade manufacturers to develop low emission and electric vehicles on such a large scale and to get motorists to buy them. The Mayor is only a fraction of the way towards achieving his existing target of 100,000 electric vehicles in London.

More than 150,000 vehicles use the C-charge zone during charging hours every week day. About 95,000 are private cars, the majority of which belong to residents who are expected to be exempt from the scheme.

Mr Johnson pledged to deliver another 600 hybrid buses, in addition to the 600 new Routemasters already promised, bringing the number of “green” buses to more than 1,600 by 2016 as 330 are already on the streets.

He has asked his team to look into designs for electric taxis — he has previously set a target for all new black cabs to be zero emission by 2020.

The Mayor said he would spend £20 million over the next 10 years — with £2 million available immediately — helping boroughs tackle air quality hotspots such as Putney High Street.

However, his plans let lorries, buses and coaches off the hook when the latest phase of the existing low emission zone begins in 2015.  It will now only apply to buses, though City Hall claims it can deliver double the air quality benefits — while saving businesses £350 million in costs.  Simon Birkett of the Clean Air London campaign today said this was “a huge backward step”.

Mr Johnson said: “My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission. This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality and stimulate the delivery and mass use of low-emission technology.”

Green Assembly member Jenny Jones said: “This is excellent news for Londoners’ health, but leaving it as a project for the next Mayor to deliver is a way of ducking responsibility for the problems we’re facing now. It’s already too late for our breaking the EU nitrogen dioxide limits, but if we are to clean up London’s dirty air we need this zone now, with a zero emission target."