An EV driver can enjoy a much cheaper commute than the petrol or diesel driver next to them. And cost isn't only measured in money - the cost to our planet in terms of carbon emissions also needs to be considered.
Our EV cost calculator below will help give you an idea of the true cost to run a vehicle today.
For example, if you drive 10km (just over 6 miles) a day in a petrol vehicle, this will represent 2.8kg of lifecycle carbon emissions. Scaled across one year, this average drive could produce 1 tonne* of carbon emissions; the same drive in an electric vehicle could produce 65% less carbon at 0.36 tonnes.
*280 g/CO² x 10km = 2,800 g/CO² x 365 = 1,022,000 g/C0² / 1000 / 1000 = 1.022 tonnes
Electricity prices correct as of 1 July 2022.
These calculations are to be used as a guideline only and are based on a number of assumptions
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Car chargers come in different sizes
Your electric car charging point will affect the amount of electricity needed to supply your home which is why it's really important to let us know
Charging speeds depend on the output of the charger and the vehicles capacity to accept that charge. Not all vehicles are able to charge at fast rates.
We need to to know if you have an electric vehicle charging unit installed on your property.
Simply register your unit if it is 3.6kW or under.
Faster charging units will require an application form for additional load.
There are public electric vehicle charging sites such as North Beach, Salerie and Odeon car parks, and another charging station at La Crocq Pier, St Sampson.
All sites have two 7.2kw electric vehicle charging units and can be accessed by using the Plug-N-Go app, or by purchasing a key fob through the app to access the charging units. Locations of the charging units managed by Plug-N-Go are also displayed on the app.
Just search for Plug-N-Go in your app store
Zap Map also shows EV charging stations across Guernsey including hotels and other establishments that have charging facilities available for guests, non-guests and visitors.
As this graph highlights in blue, production of an electric vehicle does have a higher carbon impact than petrol and diesel vehicles. However we have to consider the full lifecycle/total impact of each vehicle which we have summarised here.
Claims can often be misleading where they don’t reflect the overall impact or focus on one aspect (e.g. production - blue), but not another (e.g. operation - orange). This is why we commissioned a study to find out the true carbon impact of vehicles driven here in Guernsey.
If you're interested in reading our full vehicle emission study, you can find it here.
Study uses data as of 31 December 2021
There's a common misconception that electric cars are unrealistic and there aren't many actually being driven.
However as the number of electric cars driven in Guernsey gets recorded, you'll see there has been sharp increase over the last few years. This uptake exceeds the prediction made by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) in 2019 and helps demonstrate how the electrification of Guernsey has far outpaced initial forecasts.
Source: States of Guernsey Traffic & Highway Services
If an electric vehicle isn't an option for you yet, alternative fuels could be an effective way to drive more sustainably. However it is worth remembering that these vehicles will still produce exhaust emissions.
Alternative fuels such as Biofuel have a much lower carbon intensity over their lifetime compared to petrol and traditional diesel. Here in Guernsey, alternative fuels are available for purchase in some forecourts.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) predicted the total number of EVs driven in Guernsey to be 575 by September 2021. In reality, the total number reached 980, representing an unexpected shift in customer mindset towards driving electric.
Electric vehicles in Guernsey now represent over 2% of the active vehicles on our roads today and are far exceeding PWC’s original predictions made for the adoption of more sustainable transport.
Unlike petrol and diesel vehicles, electric powered transport does not produce any exhaust pipe emissions. In terms of local air quality, this is great news for our island.
However to gauge the true impact driving has on our planet, Guernsey Electricity commissioned a study to understand the carbon emissions produced across the entire lifecycle of the vehicle in question.
The lifecycle assessment includes, but is not limited to, carbon emissions generated from extracting raw materials, producing the fuel, generating the electricity, running the vehicle, and disposal
