Boris Johnson’s climate spokesperson says she prefers to drive a diesel car over an electric one
Allegra Stratton said she is put off by the prospect of charging up a car during long journeys
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson’s climate spokesperson Allegra Stratton has revealed that she prefers to drive her diesel Volkswagen Golf over an electric car.
The prime minister’s former press secretary claimed she is put off by how long it takes to recharge an electric car before long journeys.
Ms Stratton said she needed a car that doesn’t need to be charged when she makes long journeys up to 250 miles away from her home in north London to visit elderly relatives in Scotland, Gloucestershire, north Wales, and the Lake District with her two young children.
Instead, she drives an old diesel-fuelled car that she bought “third-hand” – she said in an interview with Times Radio.
When asked why she would not drive an electric vehicle, she said: “I don’t fancy it just yet.”
She added that driving an electric car would be a more attractive idea if “the stop times for recharging improve so much that it’s half an hour.”
Edmund King, president of the AA, said the average electric vehicle has a range of more than 200 miles without the need for recharging.
He told The Times: “Even on a rare journey of over 200 miles, the driver should stop to take a break anyway for road safety reasons, so why not combine it with a rapid charge that takes just 20 minutes to go from a quarter charge to over 80 per cent?”
Mr King said that “now is the right time to go electric” as Londoners with electric cars do not have to pay the capital’s congestion charge, and vehicles that run only on electric are exempt from car tax across the UK.
Sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2030. Some plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and some full hybrids still able to be sold up until 2035.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments