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Electric Cars Demystified

Monday 26th July 2021 at 8pm-9pm

*See article on impact of traffic pollution on asthma:* https://www.medclique.org/child-health/traffic-pollution-impact-childhood-asthma/

The Government has brought forward the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030, and from 2035 you will not be able to buy a plug-in hybrid. As such, many of us are turning our attention to alternative fuels, in particular electric. With respect to clean air emissions, this is great news as the air emissions from fossil fuel cars creates Nitrogen Oxides which is harmful to living organisms, including us.

Air is essential for us, our animals and plants. The quality of our air is affecting us in insidious ways. For example: Four million children develop asthma every year as a result of air pollution from petroleum fueled cars and trucks, equivalent to 11,000 new cases a day. Children are especially vulnerable to toxic air and exposure to it is known to leave them with stunted lungs. https://www.who.int/airpollution/news-and-events/how-air-pollution-is-destroying-our-health

But what other benefits or disadvantages are there to electric cars? How environmentally kind are they? If you’re interested in electric cars and the infrastructure that supports their use, come armed with questions to ask Mark Calnan who will be presenting this session.

Mark Calnan, of Qarma Solutions and EB Charging, advises local authorities and businesses on integrated and sustainable solutions for decarbonising transport to meet the 2050 net zero emissions target, and to prepare for the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. He has been a pure EV (Electric Vehicle) driver since 2014 and is currently authoring a charging infrastructure guide for local authorities, on behalf of the Department for Transport's Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) due for publication in 2021.

Mark is a highly experienced chartered engineer with over 30 years in major integrated transport infrastructure and complex building projects (UK and Middle East) - from Channel Tunnel to Crossrail, including a 2-year assignment as Heathrow’s Energy Manager overseeing its energy demand reduction programme.

Ever passionate about the environment and sustainability, over the last 8 years, Mark, Alex (his son), and business partner, Paul have co-founded EB Charging who initiated and funded the first electric taxi projects in Hertfordshire and Cambridge. They continue to develop and advise on innovative technology solutions; from managing Clean Air Zones, to intelligent charging bays and Smart Charging.

Mark and Paul recently completed a feasibility study to assess powering locally-owned EV charging infrastructure from community solar generation. They are currently advising an NHS Trust on decarbonising its fleet, and a North East authority on its 2-year electric van trial.

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