Six new Pay-As-You-Go charge points and more on the way
Jersey’s growing number of electric vehicle (EV) drivers will be able to pay as they charge their cars with a contactless card or mobile app at a rapidly increasing number of public charge points.
Jersey Electricity and the Department for Growth, Housing and Environment have switched on a further six charging points in Pier Road car park and reached agreement to install more EV chargers in public car-parks at First Tower, St Aubin, Red Houses and St Brelade’s Bay.
Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis said: ‘I am pleased that we have been able to increase the number of charging points in Pier Road car park. It is something that we have been working on with Jersey Electricity for a little while. It is important that the provision of charging points keeps pace with demand.’
JE Director of Commercial Services Peter Cadiou said: ‘Transportation in Jersey accounts for around one third of the Island’s total carbon emissions. With an electricity supply that is already virtually completely de-carbonised, electric transport provides a huge opportunity for further de-carbonisation to help Jersey reach its target of a carbon neutral island by 2030.
'Jersey Electricity continues to make a significant investment in improving Jersey’s EV charging infrastructure to actively support this aim and the Government’s objective to increase the number of ULEVs in Jersey.
‘We are doing all we can to reach our target of 50 public EV charge points by the end of 2019 right across the Island but each needs individual planning permission and that takes time. Government and JE are working together on this and we are grateful for the Minister’s support. As well as the additional six charging bays in Pier Road, the Government has also approved four preferential parking bays for EVs only. Jersey Electricity has also agreed to fund additional charging bays in other locations across the island subject to securing car parking spaces and we are in talks with businesses in the east of the Island to extend the network there.’
JE upgraded the Island’s original public charge points installed in multi-storey car parks in 2013 to smart Chargemaster units earlier this year. A partnership with the UK’s Charge-Your-Car public charging network has now enabled ‘pay-as-you-go’ payments via an app or contactless card, while also giving drivers access to over 2,200 chargers in the UK. Any charger issues or problems are supported by a dedicated 24/7 helpline, including remote connectivity into the chargers themselves, meaning customers can charge with complete peace of mind.
Drivers can download an app to gain access to the chargers without an annual subscription or, alternatively, purchase a contactless card for £20 a year Charge-Your-Car administration cost, at www.evolve.je. The energy used during a charging session is recorded and an email receipt provided to the driver, the cost of charging is 11p per kWh overnight and 21p per kWh during the day (£2 minimum). The overnight rate, like that for electric heating tariffs, is priced at a significant discount to the day rate to encourage use when wholesale electricity prices are cheaper and spread the load on the network. A typical EV would cost 2p-3p a mile to run on the overnight rate.
In addition to the six new charging points, JE has also installed Jersey’s first free-to-access -via debit or credit card - 50kW rapid charger at the Powerhouse, capable of fully charging the average EV in under one hour (and for many vehicles 80% of capacity in 25mins).
