£600,000 upgrade to the EV charging network

Sunday 30 April 2023

Jersey Electricity have announced a £600,000 investment to "future proof" the island's electric vehicle network.

The island's current network charging points for electric vehicles is set to get a major upgrade, according to a new announcement by the electricity company.

Jersey's network of electric chargers was first installed in 2012 and updated in 2018. It currently consists of 109 charging points in publicly accessibly places, such as car parks. 

Peter Cadiou, Jersey Electricity's Director of Commercial Services, explained: "EV charging technology has rapidly developed in recent years, so now is the right time to upgrade the public EV charging network." 

The network is made up of 'Standard' 7kW chargers, 'Fast' 22kW chargers, 'Rapid' 50kW chargers and one 'Ultra Rapid' 150kW charger.

Pictured: There are currently 109 EV chargers on the island. 

All 109 chargers, aside from the single 'Ultra Rapid' charger, will be replaced and upgraded as part of the overhaul.

As part of the new upgrades, Jersey Electricity are also making improvements to the "back office system" that operates the chargers. 

Demand for electric vehicles has risen over time in the island. According to Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVS), there were 1,365 electric vehicles in Jersey at the end of 2021. Just one year later, this number had risen by more than 30% to 1,789.

Due to their potential as a relatively low-carbon alternative to fossil-fuelled vehicles, the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is a key facet of the island's Carbon Neutral Roadmap – the Government's plan to get the island to net-zero emissions by 2030.

Pictured: There were 1,789 electric vehicles registered in Jersey at the end of 2022 – a 30% increase on the end of 2021.

Mr Cadiou said: "This means our network will be future proofed and ready to support the island with its aspirations for low carbon transportation." 

Chris Ambler, CEO of Jersey Electricity, said the upgrade supports the island’s ambitions for a zero-carbon future.

He explained: "As more people switch to low-carbon transportation...the Evolve network is ready for investment now to meet the future demand for public charging."

The upgrades are expected to be rolled out over the next six months.