Letters: We're all brothers and we're not heavy

Electric vehicle. Photo / File

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother!" The origins of this go back a couple of hundred years and are still popular in the song by that title.

It became the theme of Boys Town and is now embedded in our minds. But the bases of this concept goes deeper, much deeper and is something many of us should search for in our own hearts and minds.

I was fortunate enough to have a caring family, either my brothers or my sister would have, I am sure, given any part of their selves had I needed it, we didn't have to ask, it was there.

It springs up now and then in our country, the willingness of others to show kindness and to offer un-asked for help.

Generosity is inherent in most Kiwis but, and of this I am sure, it hurts us not to be reminded that we are all related, regardless of colour or belief or origins we are all "Brothers".

And not one of us is too heavy.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

Powering cars

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or FCVs are not as common as Jim Adams (Letters, July 26) suggests.

They have been around for 40 years or more but have yet to live up to his statement of better, cheaper and more sustainable.

I tried to buy one at the Field Days but the $100,000 price tag put me off; $30,000 dearer than the same brand battery electric vehicle I was also put off by the fact that there was no filling stations nearby, in fact none in Hamilton and none in Rotorua and apparently none in NZ.

There are only three brands of FCV available to Joe Public world wide in six different countries including Japan, USA, Germany and Norway. So that is not anywhere near every car manufacturer in the world.

Norway actually can't be counted now as on June 10 there was a spectacular explosion at the hydrogen fuelling station in Sandvika and the whole refuelling network has suspended operations pending investigations.

The following day Toyota withdrew the Mirai and Hyundai withdrew the Nexo from sale in Norway temporarily until the cause is found.

As I see it FCVs offer the most potential but currently they are not here, not cheap and maybe the technical stuff like safety is not here either.

I can see why the BEV is going to dominate in these times of urgent need for climate change mitigation.

Ten years will be too late.

We made the right choice with a battery electric vehicle.

Martin Sharp
Rotorua

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