Editor's note

Last year, less than 2% of new cars sold in the UK were electric. By 2035, the government aims to bring that as close to 100% as possible, as sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars will be banned. It’s going to be an uphill struggle, but a lecturer in vehicle electrification at Loughborough University, Ashley Fly, believes it can be done – if big changes start right now.

The UK is lucky to have a wealth of talent and experience in car manufacturing – in 2018, the UK was the fourth largest vehicle producer. But most of those run on fossil fuels, and that £82 billion industry will need to urgently retrain its workforce to make electric vehicles instead. The government has promised £274 million for new car battery research, but they’ll have to keep the money flowing to ensure more efficient electric cars can run off the drawing board and into driveways over the next 15 years.

All those cars are likely to need more than 80 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity each year, an increase in the total demand on the national grid by a quarter. All the more reason to speed up the roll-out of renewable energy so that there are more solar farms, wind turbines and power lines to meet demand, and more recycling facilities to process and re-use the components of old car batteries.

Buses and transit vans might run more efficiently on hydrogen fuel cells – as some buses in London already do. But achieving this throughout the UK in less than two decades will mean massive investment and a commitment to getting started right away. What the government does in the next few years should tell us how serious they are about meeting the 2035 target.

Meanwhile, a new trend called “leaveism”, has researchers worried. It has nothing to do with Brexit, and everything to do with a dysfunctional work-life balance that’s causing British workers to use annual leave to recover from illness or look after sick relatives. In other news, a professor of politics asks: is grassroots democracy the best way to decide a political leader?

And following the US senate’s vote last night to throw out impeachment charges against President Donald Trump, we consider the parallels with the Roman republic.

Jack Marley

Commissioning Editor

Top stories

The future of British motoring? Bubble_Tea Stock/Shutterstock

Four things the UK government must do to phase out petrol, diesel and hybrid cars by 2035

Ashley Fly, Loughborough University

It may seem a long way away, but a 2035 ban requires investment and major changes right now.

Happy holiday! Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

Leaveism: welcome to the dark side of 21st century flexible working

Ian Hesketh, University of Manchester; Cary Cooper, University of Manchester

Why hit the beach on holiday when you can use your annual leave to be ill at home instead?

Peter Byrne/PA

Why grassroots members shouldn’t choose party leaders

Meg Russell, UCL

Labour's leadership election is about to enter its final phase – but will the winner command the support of MPs?

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