Frequently Asked Questions
Are hydrogen vehicles the real answer?
We will certainly need Hydrogen to get us to Net Zero, but it is fairly unlikely to be used in everyday cars.
Firstly, there’s efficiency.
Are hydrogen vehicles the real answer?
We will certainly need Hydrogen to get us to Net Zero, but it is fairly unlikely to be used in everyday cars.
Firstly, there’s efficiency. We would need more electricity to travel a mile in a hydrogen car than to travel the same mile in a battery car.
Secondly, we need hydrogen for things that are difficult to electrify – such as very heavy vehicles and construction plants. Hydrogen could be a crucial way to decarbonise long-Heavy Goods Vehicles, for example.
Green hydrogen also isn’t cheap. When used, hydrogen only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air. However, a huge amount of commercial hydrogen is produced using fossil-fuels such as gas. Electricity is also used to produce hydrogen, and for hydrogen to be a truly green solution, this electricity must be produced from 100% renewable sources.
Producing an EV is more carbon intensive than producing a petrol or diesel car
Producing an electric vehicle can result in around 44% more in carbon emissions than producing a petrol or diesel vehicle. Some articles zoom in on
Producing an EV is more carbon intensive than producing a petrol or diesel car
Producing an electric vehicle can result in around 44% more in carbon emissions than producing a petrol or diesel vehicle. Some articles zoom in on this figure to make claims that EVs therefore produce more carbon in total. But this fails to take into account lifecycle emissions.
Over a vehicle’s lifecycle – including production, operation, maintenance and end-of-life – an average EV charged between 11pm and 5am in Guernsey could produce nearly 70% less in CO2 emissions than the average petrol vehicle.
Click to find out how you can use 100% renewable electricity
Please always consider any product’s lifecycle emissions before making purchase decisions based on carbon claims.
Our grid won’t cope when everyone’s got an electric vehicle
We won’t all charge on the same day and at the same time. The grid wouldn’t cope if we all wanted to boil a kettle at the same time too – i
Our grid won’t cope when everyone’s got an electric vehicle
We won’t all charge on the same day and at the same time. The grid wouldn’t cope if we all wanted to boil a kettle at the same time too – it just doesn’t happen.
The best time to charge an electric vehicle is overnight.
In Guernsey it’s likely most drivers will only need to charge once or twice a week and can take advantage of the low-rate overnight periods between 11pm and 5am when we’re importing 100% renewable energy from Europe and it’s quiet on our electricity network.
Electric vehicles will be too expensive to run as electricity tariffs increase.
EVs can cost around 2p per mile, compared to petrol or diesel which usually exceeds 20p per mile.
Electricity in Guernsey is also cheaper th
Electric vehicles will be too expensive to run as electricity tariffs increase.
EVs can cost around 2p per mile, compared to petrol or diesel which usually exceeds 20p per mile.
Electricity in Guernsey is also cheaper than in the UK, and no internal combustion engine means no engine parts to change or oil to replace.
If you walk or ride a bike, then driving an EV will cost you more. However, if you switch from a petrol or diesel vehicle to an EV, you will see a remarkable decrease in the amount you spend driving from A to B.
Check out this cost calculator to see for yourself
The cost to buy an EV is prohibitive
EVs are now designed from scratch, rather than adapting existing design structures known as “platforms”, helping reduce the cost to produce.
The cost to buy an EV is prohibitive
EVs are now designed from scratch, rather than adapting existing design structures known as “platforms”, helping reduce the cost to produce.
It is also in the car industry’s interest to increase affordable EVs to secure a share of tomorrow’s car market, helping balance supply and demand in the customer’s favour.
Today’s expensive electric company cars will become half price secondhand cars in about 3 years. This is a transition, not a cliff edge. And it’s fair to say your commute in an EV will cost you far less than others driving in petrol or diesel vehicles
EV battery production and disposal is a serious environmental hazard
The only way to truly escape an environmental issue is to choose active travel. But when this isn’t an option, it’s likely the lifecycle enviro
EV battery production and disposal is a serious environmental hazard
The only way to truly escape an environmental issue is to choose active travel. But when this isn’t an option, it’s likely the lifecycle environmental impact of a petrol or diesel vehicle is higher than an EV.
It’s also likely that the batteries will outlive the car and go in to ‘second life’ as home storage.
And due to manufacturing “rules of origin”, we could see a healthy demand for old batteries or recycling by battery manufacturers. Our society now demands more sustainability, and manufacturers need to meet the needs of this market.
Legally manufacturers must take back and recycle EV propulsion batteries which helps re-supply raw materials, according to Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Some people are also concerned that battery lifespan means you’d need to replace battery too often during lifecycle which counters lifetime emissions benefits. However EV batteries typically have an 8 year 100,000-mile warrant so this is unlikely to cause problems.
When is the best time to charge an electric vehicle?
| When the grid is cleanest and cheapest. In Guernsey, this is between 11pm and 5am.
This will cost customer Read more
When is the best time to charge an electric vehicle?
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What is the best way to charge an electric vehicle? Set your on-board charge timer to charge between 11pm and 5am when our electricity is
Set your on-board charge timer to charge between 11pm and 5am when our electricity is 100% renewable. For the average driver who does not need to drive their vehicle every night, the cheapest* and least carbon intensive charge time is when the power station is not needed to top up our electricity demand. That’s between 11pm and 5am. *Cheaper for customers on a Super Economy 12 Tariff Can you get far on the range on an electric vehicle? With Guernsey’s short commutes, the average driver should only need to charge their EV fully once or twice a week. Our distances are perfe Read more
Can you get far on the range on an electric vehicle?With Guernsey’s short commutes, the average driver should only need to charge their EV fully once or twice a week. Our distances are perfect for the EV. “Range anxiety” will die down with driving range improvements in technology, and charging stations are available on smart phone apps, especially for long trips. “Destination charging” such as when you’re at the supermarket or gym means topping up a few miles while you’re busy. Like a phone (or a fuel tank), you don’t always need a full ‘tank’ to use the vehicle. And unlike fuel, you can have ‘home-price’ electricity if you do charge at home. Close
The banning of fossil-fuel cars timeline is unrealistic The industry needed certainty. Now the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars is prohibited from 2030 in Great Britain, the car indus Read more
The banning of fossil-fuel cars timeline is unrealisticThe industry needed certainty. Now the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars is prohibited from 2030 in Great Britain, the car industry is pivoting quickly to make and sell EVs. The typical life of a car in the UK is 13.7yrs, so within 20yrs/2050, car transport will likely be much cleaner. Close
What if I can't have my own charging point? Nobody has a home-based fuel station either. And as EV adoption grows, there are more and more public charging stations available. It’s Read more
What if I can't have my own charging point?Nobody has a home-based fuel station either. And as EV adoption grows, there are more and more public charging stations available. It’s simple to have a charge point 3.6kW or less installed in many properties if you’re able to let it charge your vehicle for a number of hours. Public charging points can be found online or by using a smartphone app. Close
Will people need to use 3-pin plugs and have extension leads across the street if they don't have a charging unit? Plugging a car into your wall socket is very risky and this is not recommended. EV’s should be charged using an appropriate EV charger. A Read more
Will people need to use 3-pin plugs and have extension leads across the street if they don't have a charging unit?Plugging a car into your wall socket is very risky and this is not recommended. EV’s should be charged using an appropriate EV charger. A typical 13amp socket will see a continuous demand of 10amps and charge very slowly at about 6 or 7 miles per house, and this is really risky unless you have up-to-date wiring or have had your wiring checked. Charging cars makes sense where they spend time stationary. This can be while the car is parked at the supermarket, the gym or at the office is there are public car charging points available. Close
EV's are too quiet so they're too dangerous All new EV’s have to make a noise via a sound generator at low speed. So they are not silent. Anything over about 18/20miles an hour and the no Read more
EV's are too quiet so they're too dangerousAll new EV’s have to make a noise via a sound generator at low speed. So they are not silent. Anything over about 18/20miles an hour and the noise you here is more likely to be the tyres. Close
How does the impact on air emissions translate to a better quality of life? In the UK 36,000 people die prematurely from the impact of poor air quality each year – this comes mainly from burning fossil-fuels for h Read more
How does the impact on air emissions translate to a better quality of life?In the UK 36,000 people die prematurely from the impact of poor air quality each year – this comes mainly from burning fossil-fuels for heat and transport. So switching away from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles not only helps CO2 emissions to benefit the planet – the local air quality benefits too. This means everyone benefits from saying goodbye to petrol and diesel cars, even if they don’t own a car! So as last mile delivery, bus services, taxi services move to electric – non drivers benefit too. Close
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