By Isle of Wight Observer
It’s 25 years since the first mass production car with an electric motor rolled off forecourts – the Toyota Prius. The Prius was a hybrid and in its first iteration was capable of around 14 miles on electric power below 30 mph, anything outside of that and the petrol motor kicked in.
Things then went quiet on the electric vehicle (EV) front until Nissan brought out the Leaf, which was first sold in the UK in 2011. The humble Leaf transformed the market, with the first version enabling passengers to tackle a full circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight on a single charge.
A year later Tesla announced the arrival of EVs as seriously desirable cars. In a stroke of marketing genius, rather than prioritising everyday practicality, Tesla opted to build a luxurious object of desire with blistering performance known as the Tesla Model S. Suddenly a cohort of buyers that would have been looking at gas-guzzling performance cars were buying into the future of motoring.
That’s all history now; those three totemic cars have paved the way to there being well over 100 models on the UK market, ranging from cheap little run-arounds to a fully electric Rolls Royce. There are now an estimated 1.3 million EVs on the road in the UK, and that number increases by just under 50,000 per month with one in four sales being electric and rising.
By now you might be wondering why I have written a short history of EVs. Well, I figured that there’s been enough articles debunking myths about EVs to fill a small library, so I thought I would just try and reinforce the fact that these cars are nothing new – they have been around for decades. If you do fancy debunking EV-related myths, then the internet awaits. A simple search will reveal all there is to know about low-cost mileage, the robustness of modern batteries, how the national grid can cope with electrified transport, and how you literally have more chance of winning the lottery than having your EV catch fire.
Anyway, what won’t you hear in the national press, what – apart from enjoying cleaner air and quieter streets – is the Vectis View? A couple of things come to mind, firstly – putting aside cleaner and quieter streets – it is well known that EVs are cheap to run, but did you know that on the Island we spend around £75 million a year at the pump? Even a conservative estimate suggests that completely ditching the petrol pump for the electric socket would collectively save us around £50 million a year, which is a heck of a lot of money to keep and spend locally.
Lastly, even the oldest of second-hand EVs will happily do a quiet and comfortable lap of the Island. Given the rapid improvement in EV technology, the older models sell very cheaply, which brings me to my vision of the Island being a kindly retirement home for the elderly but very capable EVs! What is rather impractical and increasingly outclassed on the big Island can still work a treat for the typical journeys over here.
Some might read this and get a bit annoyed and accuse me of evangelism – and I am guilty as charged! I do sing the praises of electrified transport, it’s just more… sociable!
If you would like to speak to the Island’s car dealerships they will all be present at the upcoming Going Electric show that’s back for its fourth edition on August 31. If you want some tips on how to spot a second hand EV bargain, then drop a line to Wight Community Energy. We are always happy to help.