‘Turn petrol stations into hydrogen stations’: Boris urged to back hydrogen over electric

In a poll of 4,656 people, held in November, 78 percent of voters said Britain should forget about switching to electricity and back hydrogen power as the UK’s main power source. A significant 18 percent of voters said the UK should utilise both hydrogen and electricity when they are available, and four percent said hydrogen should not be prioritised before electricity.

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When asked if voters would buy an electric car or a hydrogen car, 69 percent opted for a hydrogen car, six percent would buy an electric car, and 25 percent said they wouldn’t buy either.

Only five percent of voters said they would buy a heat pump with the new £5,000 Government grant, while 87 percent said they wouldn’t buy one at all, and eight percent were not sure if they would or not.

The most highly debated topic among voters was the current push to manufacture electric vehicles.

Last year the Government granted £1.3billion to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in hopes to install five times as many charging points to meet the UK’s net zero target by 2050.

Last week the Prime Minister announced that any new homes built in England will be required to have electric vehicle charging points from next year, in a major bid to increase the move away from petrol cars.

But many voters suggested that the Government will not be able to build enough charging stations across the country fast enough for the use of electric cars to be hassle free.

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Hydrogen cars are refuelled in the same way that petrol and diesel cars are – at the pump – and the process is equally as quick.

Unfortunately, there are currently only 14 refuelling stations in the UK, five of which are on the M25.

The Government have introduced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and it is hoped that electric and hydrogen vehicles will flood the market instead.

Currently, the only hydrogen cars available to buy are the Hyundai ix35 for £53,105 and three Toyota models ranging from £49,995 to £64,995.

One voter nicknamed ‘MrVgrumpy’ advised drivers to “buy a new petrol car in 2029 and run it into the ground until hydrogen cars are [more] available and reasonably priced”.

Reader ‘Rdj’ said: “At the end of the day it all comes down to cost. There are those for which money is no object and there are those who just simply cannot afford the luxury of a hydrogen car.”

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