We’ve not run a family car now for at least ten years. We gave it up for environmental reasons and found some added bonuses in financial savings, more exercise and less stress. That’s not at all unusual for London – the majority of Londoners don’t own cars. And since we ditched ours, many friends and relatives joined us in becoming car-free households too. The kids complained at first but now they're older it’s they who won’t let us buy another internal combustion engine. Their generation may be the spark that really sets the electric drivetrain rolling. A survey this month found they were highly influential in purchasing decisions (see graphic below).

The motor manufacturers are all busy developing new electric ranges. Almost without exception they expect to replace their petrol and diesel models with electric on the forecourts before sales of the former are halted in 2030.

The cars, it seems, are no longer what we’ll be waiting for. Now the problem...