I would like to reinforce Fortunato Said’s argument (The Sunday Times, October 10) with the following points and suggestions.

Malta, because of its size, provides an ideal environment for the introduction of fully electric vehicles (EVs). The main advantage of hybrids over EVs is the extended range, something that is superfluous in Malta.

Malta is so small that it does not even require the more advanced, and more expensive, long-range EVs; the simpler, cheaper, medium-range EVs suffice.

Still, even these are more expensive than traditional cars with internal combustion engines. That is why many governments provide financial incentives for the acquisition of EVs. However, it is unlikely that Malta can afford to do that at this time.

Another incentive to purchase EVs would be to make the use of traditional vehicles much more expensive, for example by increasing the tax on petrol and diesel substantially, but I don’t think that is feasible right now.

However, one way to shift the extra expense of introducing EVs to those who can bear it is to require that for every traditional car to be imported, two traditional cars have to be exported or scrapped, while leaving the importation of EVs totally free.

The benefit to Malta’s air quality is obvious, and furthermore it would not add to the government’s expenses.

Of course, the electricity that powers these EVs has to be generated and the Marsa power station is not the ‘greenest’ source.

The cleanest solution to that problem is the laying of two interconnectors to Sicily and the part ownership of, or long-term supply contract with the nuclear plant to be built on that island. Over a relatively short period the CO2 emissions of Malta’s private transport sector would be reduced to zero.

Alas, I am afraid the chances of the government taking up these suggestions and realising this vision are also zero.