Obviously not interested in short range EV's - cars like the Peugeot 106 with a range of around 40-50 miles simply perpetuate the idea that EV's are milk floats for nerdy geeks in anoraks. . No offence to geeks intended. Some of my best friends are geeks.But the EV/milk float connection must be blasted to kingdom come if they are to take off.

I remember a newspaper article about the Zytek Elise electric sports car and arrange to meet the Zytek director in exotic Solihull. I am still feeling quite charged by 3 months in America and American style of promotion. Such a great car so little publicity I don't understand! Suggest celebrity promotion. He agreed it would be a good idea.But obviously not a car I could take driving lessons in.

I soon discover the only EV's available in UK in which I mIght possibly learn to drive are short range. Peugeot 106. (Although according to rocket scientist Bill Yerkes, Peugeot is looking into lithium-ion so there is hope). is the EV available in UK used by various local councils involved in the Zeus project (the what?). I contact the UK Co-ordinator Helmut Lusser asking if he can help in my search for a long range EV.He explained they used the Peugeot 106 - SIGH! This car won't make BMW/Alfa Romeo drivers think twice.He gives me contact tel nos of Peugeot.I decide to call them anyway to see if any plans to introduce better batteries and increase range but unfortunately I am put through to customer service not PR and inevitably embroiled in heated argument about cars which went something like this:

Peugeot Man :"Normal"cars are very clean!! no demand for EVs -the public don't want EVs forced on them -no market-we get a lot of calls from environmentalists

Me :I'm not calling you as an environmentalist, I am campaigning for access to state of the art clean technology which is being wilfully denied to drivers in Europe.Public don't know about them.

No point discussing this further with someone on payroll of I.C.E. car company so end conversation.
Call BSM and AA for help in finding car:
"Do you mean an automatic" said AA woman-"No".
"What is an electric car anyway?", annoyed to have such an unusual request to deal with."Well I've never heard of them,then to reassert her authority added-"there aren't any electric cars-ANYWHERE! I was tempted to give her a lecture but decided best to end conversation and save money on wasted telephone call.BSM at least offered to teach me if could find car.

Meanwhile back in the US....it's November 1999 and members of the GM EV 1 clubs set off on an historic 3000 mile EV Odyssey from Santa Monica to Orlando in a bid to increase public awareness of the car. No mass coverage in the news here though does get a mention on BBC World Service at 1 am!
The new improved GM EV 1 Generation 11 launched in the same month has received even greater acclaim. Ovonics NiMH quick charge batteries have more than doubled the range of the car pictured to between 120-160 miles per charge in cities.Read rave reviews on the Web.So jealous.Particularly as NiMH batteries work better in cold climates!
Why don't these US car companies launch their cars in Europe?.