Swindon Borough Council recently announced it has installed electric charging points at its Civic campus in the town.

The new points are available to staff and the public and can charge two cars at once.

They are part of the councils plan to contribute to meeting the UK’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.

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Daniel Adams: “I think the government needs to look at a tax break for firms to install charging points at work.

“I have no way of charging one at home but if I could at work then I could get one.”

Dave Haines: “It must be for public use as judging by all the decisions Swindon councillors have made over the past 10 years regarding new road layouts, none of them have ever driven.

Richard Gale: “Makes me laugh so much, a few charging points in Swindon for thousands of cars…”

Deborah Clark: “Not yet as mechanically safe however, but that’s not usually discussed”

Toby Robson: “Just hope you don’t need to go on a long journey.

“Most service stations don’t have charge points.

“Look at a standard motorway service station and consider how many cars pass through in just a ten minute period during rush hour.

“It takes just three or four minutes to fill a car and pay.

“If each electric car takes 20 minutes to charge up, every service station and slip road leading up to one would become a vast parking lot.

“Electric vehicles remain an expensive luxury for people who make short journeys and are currently indulged by the luxury or not having to compete for the relatively few charging points installed so far.”

Timothy O’Sullivan: “Waste of money, hydrogen is the way forward.

“Electric is worse for the environment than fossil fuels as lithium is a dreadful substance and ruins whole ecologies where mined and dumped.”

Kevin Webb: “When you look at how long it takes to charge a car and how long it takes to fill up with fuel, we will need thousands of those electric points.

“It will be many years before we all go electric.”

John Cousins: “I don’t know a single working-class family that can afford an electric car.

“Until the price comes down they will only ever be a status symbol for the middle class.”

Julian Smith: “Anyone living anywhere without private off-street parking simply cannot charge their car at home reliably, which rules out most of central Swindon.

“Even if you get the one parking space outside your house, current charging technology means I have to trail a cable across the pavement causing a trip hazard.”

Faatmaan: “Again we see self interest of the council installing at considerable expense facilities first and foremost for their own staff, even though the public will have access.

“I would be more impressed if they had an actual rollout plan for the whole borough, rather than tokenism at tax payer expense.

“I take it electric charging points will then be installed in areas where there is high council charge revenue, followed eventually by the troughs in the council estates for those who cannot afford to purchase electric vehicles and whose vehicles have been priced off the roads.

“This borough is for everybody, not just the favoured few.

“I would be interesting to see if they integrate charging points into all new homes as a mandatory requirement, and the necessary parking on the property to allow said charging.”

GalaxyMan: “Switching to electric won’t be a massive thing for me. I can’t afford to do it. It seems like only yesterday I was being encouraged to buy a diesel by politicians so I’m going to sit out listening to them now.”