"Misinformation surrounding electric cars needs to be cleared up"

Tuesday 18 September 2018

As petrol prices push past £1.40 for a litre of unleaded, electric cars are looking more and more appealing for the people of Guernsey, and now is the perfect time to make the change according to one local teenager and EV business developer.

Peter Brock, 18, works for Guernsey startup Plug-N-Go, which was established to try and meet the needs of electric vehicle owners both on island, and also in the UK.

But Mr Brock has also conducted his own extensive research into why Guernsey is the ideal location for Electric Vehicles and the infrastructure that comes with them to become mainstream.

"I've recently been researching the benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles, specifically in Guernsey, and I've drawn some conclusions about how the island can improve as a result of their adoption," he said.

"The biggest barrier to entry for the market at the moment is misinformation. I personally would like to see a lot more EVs on the road, because why not in Guernsey? It has been said before but it really is the ideal location. A lot of the common reasons people don't choose an EV just don't apply on the island.

"A full charge on a standard EV gives you 145 miles of range at least, so could get you four, five times around the island, and realistically that is never going to happen."

Pictured: A Renault Zoe, Mr Brock's ideal car for the island. "It is a vehicle suited to Guernsey's size and terrain. Its range of 145 miles is more than sufficient, allowing it to drive around the island almost five times without needing a charge. On top of that, regenerative braking charges its battery on the road, meaning that you could fuel most of your trip home by driving down the Val des Terres".

According to Mr Brock's research, EVs will benefit Guernsey because:

• They are cheaper to own
• They will preserve the island's environment
• They are more practical for island life

One of the services offered by Plug'N'Go is the installation of the wall charging points, such as those found on the North Beach car park. To use, people download an app and scan their location on there or use an RFID card (like a contactless card) to pay.

But it only costs £1.50 an hour to charge, which, compared to petrol, comes out at 12p to the kWh versus £4.90 to the gallon [approx].

And it is very unlikely people will need to charge when they are not at home, unless they forget to plug their vehicle in for several nights in a row, Mr Brock added.

"For example, though the BMW I3 and X3 are very different models, the factors used to calculate the vehicles' five year running cost all indicate that the battery electric vehicle is less expensive.

"The annual savings on fuel comes to £894, based on the latest Guernsey prices. On top of this, the used X3 depreciates in value much faster than the EV. This is because ICE [internal combustion engine] vehicles have significantly more moving parts.

"Then the total five year CO2 emissions for a used X3 comes to 14.1 tonnes a year, of which 97% is released locally. The i3 however has a five year emission figure of 4.15 tonnes, broken down into emissions from the manufacture and the electricity. None of it is released locally." 

Sparking a discussion surrounding Electric Vehicles and their place in island life is Mr Brock's main goal, while he said legislation supporting the purchase of EVs would be ideal, he would be happy if people were discussing them and becoming more informed.

"Now, it is cheaper to own a used EV than a used ICE, so it really is worth looking at - Guernsey is a prime test bed for having the cars en-masse. It used to be the case that an EV was a premium product, but they are more economic than a standard car in many cases now.

"I want to get people engaged."