In previous weeks, we have looked at the range of electric vehicles currently on the market and the Island’s charging infrastructure.
My earlier columns have shown how practical EV ownership is in Jersey, so this week I want to focus on an area of concern to all of us – cost.
There is no escaping the fact that most things are becoming more expensive at the moment. Inflation is at the highest it has been for decades and the rising cost of living has dominated headlines, both locally and nationally.
As we head into winter, concerns over costs increase, as our energy usage goes up and the demands on our wallets rise.
Against this backdrop, how can owning an electric car help? The simple answer is that, once you have bought the vehicle, it is significantly cheaper to run an EV than it is to run a petrol or diesel vehicle.
Our calculations show that if you currently drive a medium-sized petrol car (something along the lines of a VW Golf), and cover around 160 miles per week, you could save around £900 a year by switching to an EV and using the Easycharge Plus subscription. More details are available by visiting jec.co.uk/easycharge.
Just think what that ‘extra’ £900 could get you: It could buy your groceries for several weeks, pay for new home appliances or even go towards something special such as a family holiday.
To help reduce costs, Jersey Electricity encourages you to charge your vehicle overnight.
If you are using the Evolve public network, the tariff for standard chargers is 11p per kilowatt between midnight and 7am, and 21p per kilowatt between 7am and midnight. With rapid chargers, the cost is 25p per kilowatt.
How much charge you will need depends on your vehicle’s battery size and how far you are travelling.
An average 100 miles per week of usage equates to around 25kW or a cost of between £2.75 and £5 – depending where and when you charge.
If you have a newer EV with a larger battery, you may only need to charge once every two-to-three weeks.
And it is not just the energy costs which are substantially lower with an EV. Maintenance and repair bills tend to be lower too, as EVs have fewer components than petrol or diesel vehicles, which means that there is less potential for something to go wrong.
While I would recommend following the dealer’s advice when it comes to servicing and tyre checks, I have found that a lot of updates are carried out electronically. Just as your smartphone, for example, tells you that it requires a software update, many cars do the same.
A final saving – and one which has considerable benefits to commuters or those who regularly spend time in town – can also be made on parking costs. Newly registered EV cars enjoy a year’s free parking in all government-run car parks in Jersey.
As EVs have grown in popularity and the technology within vehicles and the network has developed, switching from a petrol or diesel vehicle to an EV makes increasing sense from both a financial and environmental perspective.
