Green spaces?

Ian Johnstone was delighted to see an electric vehicle charging point at the Lido car park in Peterhead and muses on how nice it would be “to have an electric car, environmentally friendly and economic on the motoring pocket” (Letters 6 and 7 February). I suggest they are a waste of (parking) space.

In Linlithgow, two recharging points were installed in March 2014 at a cost of £9,905 and in nine months were used on only 12 occasions and the electricity was supplied free. This information was disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act.

So two valuable spaces were denied to other vehicle users.

Guaranteed parking for electric cars at others’ expense?

Electric vehicles are 80 per cent more expensive than ­petrol/diesel cars, take hours to charge and have higher depreciation, so only the public sector, or rich posers boasting “green credentials”, can afford them.

Grants are available (from our taxes) at 25 per cent of the cost of a car up to a maximum of £5,000. Mileage is 60 (cheapest) or 100 (expensive).

The electric motor requires rare earth metals from China and mining for these metals has caused toxic and radioactive pollution and health problems.

How green is that?

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow