Electric Vehicle Charging Costs - Could be truly shocking in the future - here's why....

The shocking cost of future electric vehicle  charging -

That might include yours....

With electric vehicles in the UK currently zero-rated for road excise duty, governments will need to recoup lost taxation - through the electric 'fuel' is likely the big choice....

Feel the jolt in your wallet? What will future charging costs look like? 

They won't be cheap and you are likely to end up getting hit by future high costs

Currently, you may be enjoying 'acceptable level' tariffs for charging your electric vehicle that seem cheap now, but that could all be set to change.

Although you can charge a vehicle at home, or on a public charger, the actual cost can be as high as the equivalent liquid Petrol or Diesel fuel alternative to fill the fuel tank up. Surprised? 

Well, there's more to be wary of and you should heed this warning.

Electric vehicles currently enjoy zero road charge costs  - that is, unlike liquid fuelled vehicles using Petrol or Diesel in the UK, they don't get charged duty on the fuel when purchased and/or in some cases a vehicle excise duty charge when the vehicle is used on the road or if they emit over a certain CO2 level. So far so good for the EV's

Vehicle Excise duty as currently levied does not take into account your vehicle usage, it is solely based on engine size and CO2 output - EV's may in future be taxed on their motor wattage. So a 2 seater EV would be cheaper than a 4 seater EV  or SUV-EV to use.

All well and good so far.

I see the future of electric vehicles as great for city use, in short journeys and local travel under 100 miles a day. However, the great uplift in electricity capacity to feed this need for the power to motivate these vehicles will have to be met with more certainty than relying on 'green' energy - did you know that Diesel generators back up 'Green' when 'Green' fails?  Someone will have to pay for the future EV charge-related uplift and Mr or MRS EV Owner, that's going to be you.

How governments may then make you pay...

Yes, there's no such thing as a free lunch and no free rides either. It is a case of have EV now and pay later.

With a massive shortfall in taxable duty with a shift to electric vehicles, you as an EV owner will face one issue - The charging point's costs. Because that is an unavoidable point where you can be taxed.

Likely, these are already 'smart' charging units and have the capacity wired into be updatable by remote methods. Overnight, these could be reset to 'tax' the EV charge you use by any amount that those in control choose to apply. 

So, today's charge of your EV might cost you £30 to charge, tomorrow it could be £100 and there is nothing you can do about it. Except pay if you want to travel by EV.

Having ditched your fossil fuelled vehicle for a 'green' one, you might be looking a bit sour around the chops when your future electricity bill shows how much your EV charges are now costing even if you only charge at home and not out at a public charging point. 

Motorway service areas often have costlier road fuels than otherwise, on motorways, your EV is a captive audience and these establishments need to turn a profit, otherwise they go out of business. 

If you run out of charge, your EV will need a full-suspended recovery - your EV cannot be towed except perhaps only onto the recovery truck and recovery companies will soon realise this and hit you with higher recovery charges in this situation.

Rather than go down the road of unpopular road pricing, my prediction is that governments will  get their pound of flesh another way and tax you at the charging point wherever that occurs - be it at your home or at a public facility. Smart charging with Smart pricing will leave you smarting.

Once you are 'converted' to Green EV's you are a prisoner of the system.

Don't say you haven't been warned. Someone has likely already reached this same conclusion as me on how to make your EV pay like a fossil fuel car does. 

They are just playing the waiting game until there is a large enough EV ownership and no means of escape before applying these cost charges. Then see if I am right.

 

Hank Marvin at 80 - a guitarist for all seasons - one of the guitar greats and needs the recognition he truly deserves.

 

A young Hank B Marvin with his Antoria guitar 1958

One British guitarist broke onto the music scene in 1958, his playing style revolutionised British popular music and influenced guitarists across the globe for decades.

For his 80th birthday, we pay tribute to Hank B Marvin, this groundbreaking guitar player who influenced many famous players of more recent years - Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Andy Summers amongst many thousands of young amateur players in bedrooms, school  playgrounds and youth clubs trying to emulate his style! 

Hank planted a seed and many followed, learning to imitate his unique style ever since.

Cliff Richard with the Fender Stratocaster 

he imported for Hank Marvin to play in 1959

The skiffle boom of the 1950's propelled many young people to play musical instruments - but by 1958, the music had changed - pushed forward by the innovators from America - Elvis, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and a handful of others who held the senior positions in the genre that was Rock n Roll.  

Hank Marvin learnt how to play their style of music, being  particularly interested in the sounds and style of Buddy Holly, Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley's guitarist) and Cliff Gallup (Lead guitar for Gene Vincent).

In 1958, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, 16 year old Newcastle school friends, journeyed to London to take part in a talent competition with a couple of other bandmates. Attaining third place in the contest, Hank and Bruce stayed on in London to seek their fortune and gravitated to the 2 I's coffee bar in old Compton Street, Soho where they would meet Cliff Richard and also future Shadows players Jet Harris, Tony Meehan, Brian Bennet and Licorice Locking. 

The legendary 2I's 

By chance, Hank was offered a tour with Cliff Richard and the Drifters - who had scored a No2 hit with Move it - perhaps one of the greatest British Rock N Roll songs ever written and recorded. Bringing along Bruce Welch and encountering Bassist Jet Harris on the tour, they went on to become the nucleus of Cliff's backing group.

The Drifters personnel gradually were replaced by Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan over a short span of time - a group that would in early 1959 became known as the Shadows.

The early Shadows line up of 1959 - 

Hank plays the original Fiesta Red Stratocaster imported by Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard imported a Fender Stratocaster guitar for Hank Marvin from the Fender factory in California to play and Hank teamed it with a Meazzi tape echo machine and a Selmer Tru-voice amplifier (later a Vox AC15 amplifier) and the Shadows sound was created. 

As they say the rest is history. 

Hank with his 1959 guitar in 1960

Apache  - the Shadows hit single from June 1960 -

The Jerry Lordan penned hit that launched a thousand bands

Hank in 2005 with a Custom Shop Stratocaster

Hank Marvin defined a unique sound and style of playing that has kept him in the musical scene continually since 1958. His clean and pure sound pre-dated the US Surf instrumental scene and has kept him employed either in the Shadows or with his own band ever since, he sells out venues whether as part of the Shadows, with Cliff Richard and The Shadows or with his own bands even 50 + years after starting in the music business.

Yet Hank Marvin is not that well known in America, sadly if he was he would be lauded for his style - American players like Jeff Baxter (Steely Dan, The Ventures) were influenced and regard Hank as an inspirational player and Hank has a small following in America and a larger interest around the globe which is well deserved.

You can instantly recognise Hank's playing or at least his style being played by someone else. There are many great amateur players who can portray his guitar work getting the right sound and feel - perhaps this is the greatest compliment Hank could attain - in that he has helped and inspired many to play the guitar and do so for decades. I am one of those inspired by him to not only play but to own the legendary red guitar like his.

He has given many ordinary guitarists like me the example to aspire to and learn from. From the days of Apache in 1960, overnight, bands in many cases ditched their lead singer and went instrumental, trying to perfect that sound and own that Fiesta Red Stratocaster, Meazzi echo machine and Vox amplifier.

60 plus years on from Apache, we owe Hank a great thank you, as part of the Shadows and in his own right, he has given us countless musical pieces to try and play in his style and to also enjoy listening to.

There are few pop musicians with the wide catalogue of work that Hank has brought to the popular music genre, so thanks Hank, we continue to enjoy your work and look forward to your new musical releases in the future.

 

And best wishes for your 80th birthday