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@vole
The number of hybrid and electric cars on our streets is gradually growing. Charging points are popping up on streets here and there. Local air pollution will be decreased - good. CO2 emissions will probably not be reduced until fossil fuels are removed from the national power generation mix - bad.
I've encountered electrics and hybrids much more frequently whilst cycling over the last few months and have been struck by how quiet, and therefore potentially dangerous, they are. When cycling we rely so much on sound - the changing sound of an engine when alongside or tailing a car or more often the noise from a vehicle from behind telling you how fast its approaching, what type of vehicle it is and generally(!) what type of driver is behind the wheel. Quite a few petrol cars are quiet but nowhere near as silent as electrics/hybrids. While there's a transition period between petrol and electric there may be a greater danger because the sound of petrols will drown out any sound produced by electrics. Electrics/hybrids from what I have seen accelerate more rapidly than standard petrol engine cars too.
Has anyone else encountered problems because of silent cars? This concern has been mentioned in the context of blind and partially sighted people - I heard a news report a few months ago that the European Union were investigating whether to 'add noises' to electric engines as a solution - but not for cyclists.