Going Green: ​The case for hydrogen or all electric vehicles

So pleased you asked because I hear this a lot but for definite, it’s electric cars that are the future of motoring. EVs are a proven technology, there’s lots of choice, they are safe to drive, and they can be charged pretty much anywhere.

In contrast, hydrogen cars are not widely available, there isn’t a way to refuel them easily while out and about and the cost of producing green hydrogen is prohibitively expensive. Therefore, look at second-hand electric cars available in your area and you may be pleasantly surprised at the range of styles, superior designs and costs that are comparable to petrol equivalent models.

Visit https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/news-views/press-releases/smmt-used-car-transactions-q1-2024/website.

Running costs are cheaper for electric cars as well for two reasons.

Firstly, they don’t have as many moving parts so no gears and oil changes etc so the service and MOT are simpler and less time consuming therefore cost less and secondly electricity is far cheaper than petrol or diesel. In fact, one organization calculated drives save £1,600 a year compared to a petrol ‘premium’ equivalent.

Visit https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/best-selling-second-hand-evs-saving-drivers-1-600-a-yearwebsite.

The reason your husband may have heard this idea is that a car company, believed hydrogen was the way forward and a lot of oil and gas companies also want to promote hydrogen as an alternative byproduct from fossil fuels. Therefore, there has been a fair amount of money spent on publicity and propaganda about the potential of hydrogen for both home heating and transport. However, this is not considered a sensible or efficient way forward for the clean energy transition for private cars for a few reasons.

To produce low-carbon, clean hydrogen requires water to be split, using electricity, in an industrial process called electrolysis. Then hydrogen, which is a highly-flammable gas, needs to be stored safely and transported in a network that doesn’t yet exist around the UK so a lot of money would be required to build the infrastructure. Meanwhile, almost every building in the UK already has access to mains electricity for charging and the number of rapid chargers grows each month. And clean renewable energy from the wind and sun help charge the batteries for a lot of our electric cars already.

Visit https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points website.

Therefore the cost, health and safety barriers, and the inefficiency of this process makes hydrogen unsuitable as an alternative to electric vehicles for most cars.

There are some niche sectors where hydrogen could play a part, such as heavy industry, shipping or HGVs but if your car needs replacing then definitely don’t delay any further and go for an all-electric car. There are well over a million electric cars on UK roads so this is not a niche sector anymore with sales out growing diesel last year and fast approaching petrol cars sales.

One final suggestion, is to look into having a charge point fitted at home as there can be a wait time to have one connected so it’s good to get in the queue. Alternatively, many car dealers, if you want to buy a new car, will provide you with a wall socket for free as part of their package of incentives they offer to customers. This is so they meet their obligations on selling enough new electric cars. So next time someone says hydrogen is the way forward, you will be able to tell them all about the many benefits of electric cars instead.

Celebrity spot

Arnold Schwarzenegger, famous actor, body builder and politician when asked about President Trump’s actions to encourage pollution and remove environmental protections said: “Hey, stop whining. What do you do? You have to be aware of your obstacles, but you should not go and use them as an excuse.”

Visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ce80kyxd05wo website.

Green swap

Swap driving for your bike: Instead of jumping in your car, next time you are meeting friends this summer hop on your bike and cycle into town. It’s cheaper, healthier and there’s no problem with parking either for your evening out.

Urging your MP to act now to save the planet

On Wednesday July 9, 2025, thousands of people from every corner of the UK will come to Westminster. They’ll be there to tell their MPs: this is a moment for leadership that protects what matters most – our health, our nature, our communities, our climate, and our future.

We know that the vast majority of citizens want stronger climate action – recent research shows this is the case for up to 89 per cent of people. But while the numbers tell us one thing, people – and politicians – wrongly think that only a minority share this view.

The good news is that people are united on acting to protect our planet – and there is power and hope in collective community action. If you’re part of the 89 per cent, you can be a part of a movement for change.

The Climate Coalition, along with sister organisations Climate Cymru and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, is the UK’s largest group dedicated to action on climate and nature. They bring together over 130 organisations – including the National Trust, Women's Institute, Oxfam, and RSPB – with a combined supporter base of 20 million to mobilise collective action, and secure a healthier, fairer future for all.

This summer, the Climate Coalition, is bringing together voices from every constituency to show that people from all walks of life — from farmers to faith leaders, doctors to youth activists — are already leading the way. Now, it’s time for MPs, to follow.

We need clear, bold leadership from our Government. That’s why citizens are asking MPs to commit to:

1. Deliver vital funding to communities hit hardest by climate change here and around the world.

2. Cut bills, back UK jobs, and secure a greener fairer future for all.

3. Restore nature to create a safer, healthier future.

If you can’t attend on the day, there are lots of different ways to get involved. Submit a picture of what you love and want to protect from climate change and nature loss. Your picture will become part of the People’s Picture, a powerful visual backdrop and symbol of public support which will be projected on to the White Cliffs of Dover, and designed by artist Helen Marshall.

Alternatively, you can join a training session on how to mobilise your community and inspire people to take action with you. This website tells you everything you need to know about getting involved – both on the day, and in the long term.

While caring about the climate can feel frustrating, it’s good to remember that positive action is happening everywhere – from Aberdeen and Anglesey to Sunderland and St Ives. Join the huge majority on July 9 to stand up for nature, communities, health, climate and our future, and ask your MP to stand with you.

Fact or fiction

Spring 2025 in UK was a double record breaker.

FACT.

Met Office statistics show Spring was the sunniest on record with significantly reduced rainfall. This was also the warmest spring since records began in 1884. Eight of the ten warmest UK springs have occurred since the year 2000.

Visit https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2025/double-record-breaker-spring-2025-is-warmest-and-sunniest-on-uk-record#:~:text=Double%20record%20breaker%3A%20Spring%202025%20is%20warmest%20and%20sunniest%20on%20UK%20record,-Author%3A%20Press%20Office&text=Spring%202025%20has%20broken%20historical,to%20provisional%20Met%20Office%20statistics. website.