England has been at war with many dozens of countries over the last few millenia, but its neighbor to the north has to be one of its most frequent rivals.

Things are altogether calmer these days and aside from occasional differences (and jibes) over food, accents or formal dress, Scots and Brits typically get along.

There are those who want to make Scotland an independent nation again though, and it's the electric car finding itself a pawn in the game.

Next year will see a referendum asking Scottish voters, "Should Scotland be an independent country?".

At the center of the debate is the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), and they're using the electric car as a tool to encourage independence.

It all hinges on the Scots' attitude towards breaking free of Great Britain, and their attitudes towards going green. Currently, they're much more in favor of the latter, says The Globe and Mail.

In fact, a recent survey from Friends of the Earth revealed 88 percent of Scots support plans to cut fossil fuel use and increase alternative energy production--compared to less than a third who support independence.

Those stats have had SNP politicians promising to line major roads and parking areas with charging points. Encourage people to go electric, and the country can exercise its potential sources of green energy--wind, tidal power and biomass. We note solar is conspicuously absent from that list--read into that what you will...

The bottom line is that an energy-independent Scotland might decide political independence is worth having, too.

The independence of Scotland is best left to those who have a stake in the matter, but if politics helps get people into electric cars and cleaner energy without taking away their FREEDOM! (sorry, couldn't resist...), then perhaps the electric car as political plaything isn't always as bad as it seems.

[Hat tip: Brian Henderson]

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