Time to buy an electric car?

Sir, – In his extensive article on electric cars, Michael McAleer addresses the issues around chargers, such as their scarcity and unreliability ("Why you should – or should not – buy an electric car now", Weekend, March 7th).

He does not mention, however, the selfishness of some car owners.

My wife and I spent five days in Westport last week. There are two double-chargers in the whole town. Every time, bar one, that we passed the one on Castlebar Street, one of the points was occupied by the same car. I phoned the ESB about this and was told there was nothing they could do about it. So, here is a situation where one person can monopolise 25 per cent of the facilities in the town just as they please. Fortunately for us we have a plug-in hybrid so we had a petrol engine to get us around. I would not have been impressed if the car was fully electric. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL HEALY,

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Blackrock,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – I enjoyed Michael McAleer’s jaunt through the pros and cons of buying an electric car.The fact is that the most green car any of us can drive is probably the one that is currently in our driveway, such is the huge environmental damage of manufacturing a new car of any fuel type. – Yours, etc,

CHRIS CUMMINS,

Sandyford,

Dublin 16.