Ian McKee

Ian McKee

@ianmck.ee

Climate and electrifying stuff. Head of Communications at ChargeUK, the voice of the EV charging industry. Muso. Cyclist. Runner. Wiltshire dweller. He/him. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿/🇲🇽

656 followers496 following482 posts

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I’ve just finished Josh Silver’s Fruit Fly because I’m on holiday and this is the book one reads on holiday in 2026. Completely devoured it but it’s so meta and wry, it felt overly contrived to me. Dare I say ‘BookTok Bait’.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I put a press release out yesterday on the cost of petrol and diesel compared to EV charging and was careful to update the diesel cost in my spreadsheet to the latest figure, from 200.02p to 200.01p a litre. Why do I bother. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.comTories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet errorExclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I don’t want to diminish what the people in this article are feeling, but it sounds very much down to driving style. Which won’t stop thousands of already hesitant people adding to their ‘cons’ column when looking at their next vehicle. Irresponsible at best from the Beeb.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Important to note if you see any of the auto lobby's interpretation of its own figures today: We are now WELL ahead of the 2030 target. They say they that isn't being hit but that is only true if you ignore the flexibilities they were given last year putting the real target at ~24.6%.

James Murray@james-bg.bsky.social

The EV market really is absolutely flying. www.businessgreen.com/news/4536682...

businessgreen.com'Major achievement': Almost five new EVs sold in the UK every minute in SeptemberUK car industry hails record electric vehicle sales in September, with almost 100,000 fully-electric vehicles registered
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I feel guilt rather than smugness looking at where energy bills are heading this winter. I won't be using gas and thanks to my battery & solar 8p/kWh is the max I'll pay for elec into a heat pump delivering 3-400% heat efficiency. I could afford the kit, most can't. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.ukHousehold energy bills forecast to see biggest rise in four yearsA typical household faces an annual gas and electricity bill of £1,999 from January, based on a key forecast.
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

VAT drops to zero on home electricity today and just as well. However, aggravates an injustice: the driveway divide between those who can charge an EV at home and those who can't. ChargeUK & many other other great orgs have written to the PM to end it. www.chargeuk.org/post/ev-driv...

chargeuk.orgEV ‘driveway divide’ increases to £200 as home electricity VAT drops to zeroEV charging industry and driver groups united in call to end the ‘pavement tax’ as it grows to £200 following the Prime Minister’s domestic electricity VAT cut
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Seriously though we are choosing now, NOW, to constrain the supply of way cheaper to run EVs?

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Key point here. ~90% of EV drivers can charge at home today but 40% of UK households cannot charge at home. Showing clearly those households are not making the switch and that addressing cost of public EV charging is a major fairness issue.

Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org

NEW – Analysis: EVs are now nine times cheaper than petrol or diesel to drive in the UK ✍️ Written by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org 📊 Data analysis by Ho Woo Nam Read here: buff.ly/VpxOLE5

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Is it silly that I'm having rooftop solar installed on my house on the exact day that plug-in solar becomes legal in the UK?

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

New rule: we don't need to listen to the opinion of anyone who calls EVs 'EV vehicles' or 'EV cars'.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Angela is on to talk about the National Emergency Briefing on climate and nature and they touch on one of my favourite lines. Every transition has winners and losers, but the losers lobby harder. Rings pretty true for me right now...! #zevmandate

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

When I joined Bluesky a few people followed me as a heat pump 'expert' as I was on someone's starter pack. I did not, however, actually have one myself. Until today 🥳 Five months from moving in we're a gas free house. ⚡️ Solar, battery, EV charger coming next week. #ElectrifyEverything

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Do think working in renewables and electrification practicing what you preach is very important. People hate to be told 'do as I say not as I do' and experiencing the benefits first hand is vital in selling it to others. As long as you don't go all overbearing with it.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

(Prepares to spend coming weeks building home automations and waffling to anyone who stands still long enough about load factors and flexibility)

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Constantly we're told that weakening key climate policies is just 'pragmatism' and that most ordinary people don't want to rush towards net zero policies. And then when you actually ask these ordinary people it seems that's just... not at all true. www.independent.co.uk/cars/electri...

independent.co.ukMost Brits don’t want Labour to put the brakes on the electric car switchOnly 37 per cent back slowing the EV transition, with younger people and Labour voters keenest to keep things moving, according to new poll
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

This is the insight from the polling we commissioned I'm most struck by. Three quarters of 18-24 year olds want the EV transition to keep pace or speed up. 53% of over 65s think it should slow down. In a democracy all views matter. But climate policies affect some generations more than others.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I cared about climate change before it was cool and will continue to do so after it has ceased to be, too.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Can confirm it's quite an odd day to have your heat pump survey and home heat loss assessment done. NOT LOSING MUCH HEAT TODAY IS IT.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

It's early July.

Met Office - weather and climate@metoffice.gov.uk

Temperatures have exceeded 34°C today for the 8th day this year 🌡️ That makes it a record for the most number of 34°C or higher in a calendar year 👇 The record was previously set in 1976 and 2020 for 7 days

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

EV charging rollout is a British success story. But you can't expect continuous accelerating growth whilst squeezing the industry from both sides. Uncertainty about demand as doubt's cast over the ZEV mandate and rising cost of supply due to energy policy. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

theguardian.comEV charger rollout in UK slows amid political uncertainty and rise in installation costsGrowth in charge points falls markedly despite surge in number of rapid-charging units
Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Fortunately, there's an easy fix! Government can lock down the mandate and address the cost of public EV Charging. Two things they're reviewing anyway, the outcome of which could unleash further charging investment, reduce driver prices, and grow the (already record) EV sales.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

30% BEV market share seen in the @newautomotive.org figures last week also reflected by SMMT's. Still 'below ambition' though apparently, despite electric being a quarter of sales YTD. Don't be fooled by the 33% ZEV Mandate target for this year, the flexibilities mean the real target is 24%.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I went into this World Cup with multiple allegiances. My mum is English, dad was Scottish and I was born in Mexico. Scotland usually irrelevant at a WC and is again now sadly. Mexico I’ve developed more of a connection to and they’re hosts. If England beat DR Congo I have a dilemma next round…

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Very sad to watch Mexico go out at the Azteca. But at least it was to England and not some other team like Spain. Both teams were spectacular last night and now I only have one horse left in the World Cup race.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Best things about this World Cup: 1. The Adidas retro second kits 2. Everyone wearing cute pink booties 3. The USA fans having no notion of offside and cheering well past the whistle being blown

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

I went into this World Cup with multiple allegiances. My mum is English, dad was Scottish and I was born in Mexico. Scotland usually irrelevant at a WC and is again now sadly. Mexico I’ve developed more of a connection to and they’re hosts. If England beat DR Congo I have a dilemma next round…

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Realising today that many people are not aware that it isn't just Reform who want to scrap green levies on electricity bills, it's the entire renewable and electrification lobby. Difference being the latter want to move them to general tax because they're regressive and anti-electrification.

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Thomas Frank, Ellen White and Micah Richards might be the most likeable pundit panel ever honestly. #worldcup

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

Mr Brightside seems to be the song to pump into the stadium at the ad sorry hydration breaks regardless of the teams playing. Is it really that much of a standard outside of England and Scotland? #worldcup

Ian McKee
@ianmck.ee

"Widely repeated claims that consumers don’t want to buy EVs will one day be studied by social historians as a form of collective false consciousness, a distortion created by the culture war and fed by large doses of black propaganda by Russian bots and Western vested interests." 🔥