Energy Islands best place to own an electric car
Owners of electric vehicles are in top gear in the Outer Hebrides, reports
THE Outer Hebrides is currently the best place in the UK for owners of plug-in cars, new research has revealed.
Analysis of the latest available government data revealed there is currently one charging device for every 15 plug-in cars registered in the UK.
But in Scotland there is one device for every nine cars.
However, electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid owners near Stornoway are in top gear – the Na h-eileanan Siar local authority has one charging device for every 2.13 cars.
WITH the UK Government announcing it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and hybrids by 2035, the shift in gear toward plug-in vehicles is clear.
Now new research has revealed the best location in Britain to own a plug-in car – and the answer is the windswept, picturesque Outer Hebrides.
Analysis of the latest available government data reveals there is currently one charging device for every 15 plug-in cars registered in the UK.
But in Scotland there is one device for every nine cars.
And EV (electric vehicle) and plug-in hybrid owners near Stornoway and the surrounding area of the Outer Hebrides are in top gear, it seems – with the Na h-eileanan Siar local authority having one charger for every 2.13 cars.
The Outer Hebrides topped the list – compiled by Jeep – ahead of Coventry, Fermanagh and Omagh, in Northern Ireland (2.5 cars per charger), Wandsworth (2.6) and the Isle of Anglesey (2.8).
While Na h-eileanan Siar leads the way, the Shetland Islands, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute, Highlands, and East Lothian are in the top 20 local authority regions for public charging in the UK.
Following the findings, Jeep has created an interactive map showcasing the number of registered plug-in cars per public charging device by local authorities.
Damien Dally, Jeep country manager, said: “The UK’S charging infrastructure is improving every day and it’s great to see charging devices popping up across the country.
“Sales of plug-in hybrids are up by almost 90 per cent this year as motorists look for a more sustainable way of driving around.
“Plug-in hybrid is great for zero emission city driving and the daily commute, while the petrol engine makes it flexible for longer journeys and trips where there might not be charging stations.”
To get a broad view on the evolution of motoring, Jeep surveyed 2,000 UK motorists – 1,600 petrol, diesel, and hybrid car owners and 400 who have
either a plug-in hybrid or pure electric car.
It found the average motorist drives just 26 miles per day – while 60% of petrol and diesel car owners drive less than 20 miles per day.
It also emerged 79% of motorists think the government should be investing more in improving public charging infrastructure.
And 76% said there should be a greater investment in on-street charging where motorists don’t have off-street parking.
The study, carried out via Onepoll, also found one in five petrol and diesel drivers support the introduction of road pricing to offset the loss in fuel duty revenue.
This rises to 59% of plug-in drivers.
It follows the launch of the Jeep Renegade 4xe, a plug-in hybrid which uses a battery motor to give it a zero
emission range of up to 26 miles – the same figure the average British motorist drives per day.
A 1.3-litre petrol engine is then ready to kick-in on longer journeys.
Jeep’s Damien Dally said: “Our research shows the public is supportive of the move towards electric vehicles, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that those who have made the switch are more in favour of the transition.
“With 71% of petrol, diesel and hybrid drivers covering fewer than 30 miles per day, on average, a plug-in hybrid would give them the benefit of zero-emission driving while providing the comfort of a petrol engine to fall back on for longer journeys as well.”
Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that new cars and vans powered by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030, as part of what he said was a “green
industrial revolution” to address climate change.
Revealing a “10-point plan” – which critics said was too small to tackle the scale of the challenges – he said accelerating the transition to electric vehicles was key.
As part of the plan, he announced a £1.3 billion investment in EV charging points, with grants for EV buyers of £582 million to help people make the switch.
Mr Johnson said: “My 10-point plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, while making strides towards net zero by 2050.
“Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines of Scotland and the North East, propelled by the electric vehicles made in the Midlands and advanced by the latest technologies developed in Wales, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.”
We can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future