The island of Saint Helena now boasts the world's most isolated public electric vehicle charging station in its capital, Jamestown.
Approximately 2,000 kilometers off the west coast of Africa is part of a trial conducted by the Norwegian charging company Easee and the Japanese car brand Subaru.
With only a handful of electric vehicles currently present on the island, the government is anticipating that upgrading the infrastructure will encourage more people to abandon their vehicles powered by petrol and diesel.
And, as Saint Helena moves forward with its plan for a greener future, it's a key part of a strategy to reduce its reliance on costly imported fossil fuels.
Electric vehicles can be a viable option even in the most inaccessible locations.
"Our trial with Connected Kerb allows us to thoroughly test our systems, whether it's the data link to the charging point, to identify and resolve any issues remotely," says Adam Rodgers, country director for Easee in the UK and Ireland.
“We're very confident we can do it – we've proven that in the past – but it will be a true real-world testing ground for us to thoroughly test and ensure that the next generation of chargers we develop incorporate the knowledge we gain from this experience.”
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For Lorraine Bishton, managing director of Subaru UK, it shows that EVs can be a viable option even in the most rural or isolated areas.
There's a lot of misconceptions about EVs at the moment," she says, "They're viewed mainly as city cars, but in reality, they're just as suitable for rural areas or rural environments as they are for urban ones.
And to be truthful, if you can handle operating an electric vehicle under these types of conditions, then you can drive it anywhere.
Opinions about Electric Vehicles (EVs) are undergoing a shift on the island of St Helena.
The government has significantly reduced tax on importing electric vehicles to almost zero, nevertheless, the single vehicle imported by Subaru has increased the total number by 20 percent.
“Only a handful of electric vehicles can be found on the island at present,” says Mark Brooks, Minister for Treasury and Economic Development in the St Helena government.
We intend to encourage people to bring in more electric vehicles. Our goal is to install more charging stations and lay down the necessary infrastructure, and then explore policy initiatives to boost the number of electric vehicles on the island.
The opinions about electric vehicles are changing very quickly, Tara Wortley, a businesswoman and one of the few electric vehicle owners on Saint Helena, said.
I have my thoughts on whether renewables and electric vehicles are part of St Helena's future, but we've actually seen electric vehicles arrive on the island and they are operational.
Wortley has discovered that owning an EV is more economical. She has found that her daily expenses for driving an electric vehicle are significantly lower than those of driving a diesel car. Specifically, the daily cost to drive a diesel car would be approximately £7 to £8 (around €8 to €9), in contrast to the minimal cost of £0.17 (approximately €0.20) per day for her electric vehicle.
Opportunities for businesses can also be found in this green transition. Derek Pedley aims to bring a fleet of electric rental vehicles to St Helena in early 2025 – for both tourists and local residents.
"I especially consider the rental market first because I would classify it as a lower risk," he says.
The entirety of the island's electric vehicles are currently being charged at home, and Pedley suggests that it would be logical to provide charging stations in Jamestown and even at the airport for individuals who are collecting rental cars.
“Upon revisiting the island in five years, I am confident that the number of electric cars you will encounter will be in the hundreds,” he concludes.
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The cost of importing fossil fuels is prompting the government of St Helena to scrutinize its energy alternatives.
Saint Helena seeks to shift away from relying on imported fossil fuels. The island reportedly spends approximately £5 million (€6 million) annually to import fuel for electricity and vehicular purposes, accounting for roughly one-sixth of its £34 million (€40.5 million) annual revenue from the UK.
“Clearly with St Helena being isolated, we have to bring in fuel at least every month to every six weeks,” explains Merril Lawrence, electricity generation manager at Connect, St Helena.
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"We are located just below the equator. We receive approximately 12 hours of sunlight daily, almost consistently throughout the year. Additionally, being a small island situated in the midst of the ocean, there is always a gentle breeze blowing through our region," Brooks adds.
That's right, we have extremely conducive circumstances for harnessing solar and wind energy.
It aims to increase its renewable energy capacity from 25 per cent to 80 per cent in the next four years, with the goal of going fully renewable in the future.
I believe as we're a relatively small community on St Helena and we have a compact government, it seems feasible that we can be entirely carbon neutral.
In terms of having a fallback system in place in case something goes wrong with renewable energy sources, we potentially could rely on diesel generation for resilience. However, it is entirely feasible that we can power an entire island using only renewable energy.
Watch the video seen above to see the world's most isolated electric vehicle charger in operation.
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