Case for hydrogen-powered vehicles

I read with interest the letter ‘Rethinking electric vehicles’, by Lindsay Love in Sentinel–Times, May 24.

Mr Love’s concerns that “saving the planet” mantra espoused by those with the “dark green bent” and their call for more electric vehicles is not cost effective when considering the government cost of installing recharging stations throughout country areas and the fact that these vehicles will not do the comparable work loads of petrol-powered vehicles in rural areas.

His lateral thinking and proposition of Australia manufacturing hydrogen fuelled cars is a very good option.

These vehicles only need their tanks filled with water and are comparable to the horsepower of current petrol-fuelled engines and do not emit pollutants into the atmosphere.

He also questions the safe disposal of electric vehicles’ used batteries.

I also question the mining of copper for the extensive copper windings in electric motors. One only has to look at the old copper mine in Queenstown, Tasmania, and the long-term denuding of the surrounding bushland.

Can the Greenies comment on this?

The newly elected Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is wanting Australia to get back to manufacturing; what a wonderful boost it would be to the economy to resurrect car manufacturing and start building hydrogen-powered vehicles instead of importing electric vehicles; many made in China.

Barry Gilbert, Walkerville.