Electric cars fall foul of unpredictable march of progress

The number of electric cars sold in Britain has fallen by 50 per cent, writes Peter Rhodes.

Just 215 were sold nationwide between April and June. No surprises there, then.

It's the old march-of-progress dilemma. Whenever any new technology is unveiled, some zealots will rush in and buy it on day one, only to discover on day two that they have bought a turkey.

The first solar-panel enthusiasts who paid for tubes of water to be installed on their roofs now look with envy on those who waited and bought electricity-generating panels instead.

For all we know, in a year or so some new technology will come along and this year's last word in solar panels will be the equivalent of a Betamax video player strapped to your roof.

So it is with electric cars. The first generation may be clean, green and chic but even a little one will cost you £500 a month for four years.

By the end of that period, your neighbour who waited and watched will probably be driving one with twice the range at half the price.

When it comes to technology, being a pioneer can seriously damage your wallet.