Petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles
Petrol
A petrol or diesel vehicle relies on an internal combustion engine (ICE) to run. An ICE burns the fuel we put in our cars to ignite the engine.
Hybrid
A hybrid vehicle is powered by an ICE and an electric motor. ICE burns fuel to create electricity that charges the battery in the vehicle. This means that a hybrid vehicle requires less fuel to run than a conventional petrol or diesel car.
Electric
An Electric Vehicle (EV) does not have an ICE. Instead, an EV has an electric motor and a battery. When you charge an EV, the battery stores the electricity. Hybrid and electric vehicles are better for the environment because they need less to no fuel to run and produce less carbon emissions.
Charging your EV
EVs can be charged:
- at home using the 3-pin plug that is included when you buy the vehicle. This method of charging is convenient but comes with the risk of overwhelming a standard domestic socket
- at a dedicated charging point. These chargers are standalone units that you can install anywhere in your home. Home chargers are best used as an overnight charger because they are slightly slower
- at fast charging points, which can be found at public car parks, workplaces, and supermarkets. These units are designed for a quick top-up charge. You need to use your own charging cable when using fast charging points
- by using a rapid charger, which is the fastest way to charge an EV. Rapid chargers have a charging cable attached and can fully charge an EV in an hour. These chargers are located at:
- Red Houses car park
- Long Beach car park
- Jersey Electric on Queens Road
In Jersey you can park and charge your electric car using Evolve charging points. Jersey Electricity provides these charging points across the Island.
More information about charging EVs can be found on Electric vehicles and charging.
Learn more about Electric vehicle charging points.
There are over 100 chargepoints across the Island. View the Live charge-point map.
Cost comparison
The outright cost of an EV is higher than a conventional car. However, you can save money on running costs with an EV.
Fuel costs
According to the Review into Fuel Prices in Jersey 2022, the average driver in Jersey spends between £960 to £1,440 on fuel each year, which means that EV drivers can save between £480 to £720 in fuel costs.
Find out how much money you could save by switching to an EV with the JEC fuel cost calculator.
Maintenance costs
EVs have fewer moving parts that need to be serviced, reducing repair and maintenance costs by as much as 50%. Industry research indicates that the average cost to repair and service a traditional vehicle is £273 per year. EV drivers save over £135 per year on maintenance costs in addition to the longer lifespan of their vehicle.
With the right care and maintenance, EVs can drive 200,000 miles before it is time to retire them.
Range considerations
On average, EVs have a range of around 200 miles. In Jersey, the range of an EV should not be an issue due to the size of our Island.
There may be concerns about the range of your EV when travelling to the UK or France. However, the UK has an extensive rapid charging network where an EV driver is never more than 25 miles from a chargepoint on a motorway or A-road, and France has over 30,000 units available for EV drivers.
View the UK’s Live charge-point map.
View France’s Live charge-point map.
Safety issues
Petrol and diesal vehicles have mechanical valves, gears and fans that create noise. This makes it easier for pedestrians to hear ICE vehicles. Electric and hybrid vehicles are much quieter as their wheels and air resistance at speed are their main sources of noise.
This is a safety concern for pedestrians, especially those with sight and hearing impairments. To improve safety, all electric and hybrid vehicles must have a noise system installed that complies with the Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV) law. This alert system must sound when the vehicle is reversing or travelling at less than 18 miles per hour.
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