Shock therapy: Merc’s electric SLS

There's an episode of Father Ted called ‘Speed 3' which lampoons the Keanu Reeves action flick by stranding the idiot priest Dougal on a runaway milk-float. Milk-floats are intrinsically funny because they are the dullest form of transport known to man, noiseless, pitifully slow, emasculated. They're also electric, which is why the milk-float is the pejorative that haunts the notion of the all-electric car.

Can we really learn to love the electric car? Internal combustion is explosive and exciting, a thrilling collision between fuel and air, and regulated by fast-moving pistons and cylinders. Electricity comes out of the wall when you flick a switch. Yes, I know it's more complicated than that, but still, electricity is the stuff that makes your fridge work. 

Words: Jason Barlow