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The popularity of electric vehicles on the island is expected to surge over the next decade, according to Guernsey Electricity.
The company is expecting to see a significant change in demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and is finalising an electric transport strategy, which has already seen the purchase of several electric vehicles.
The news comes as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recorded a 20 per cent jump in the number of ‘alternatively fueled vehicles’ – mainly electric vehicles - registered in the UK in January. Overall, vehicles in this category reached a record 4.2 percent share of new registrations, overtaking a previous 3.6 percent high in November 2016.
Electric vehicles are eventually predicted to make up to a third of the road transport market by 2035 and more than two-thirds by 2050, according to researchers at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and the Carbon Tracker Initiative independent think tank.
‘The popularity of electric vehicles is currently quite low compared to other European countries, but we expect this to change significantly in the next decade,’ said Stuart Blondel, head of asset for Guernsey Electricity.
He said Guernsey Electricity had bought two Peugeot iOn electric cars and a Peugeot Partner electric van as part of continuing investment in the company’s vehicle fleet after successfully trialing various EVs in recent months.
Charging points have been installed at the company’s premises, with the electric cars being used by the new connections and energy sales team and the electric van by the metering section.
‘Electric transport on Guernsey represents a significant future opportunity for Guernsey Electricity,’ said Mr Blondel.
‘By adopting EVs in our fleet, we can support this technology, and develop first-hand experience of owning and driving such vehicles. This initiative forms part of a wider business strategy for electric transport, which is currently in the process of being finalised.’
