The island of St Helena has put into operation the world's most distant public electric vehicle charging station in its capital city, Jamestown.
Located approximately 2,000 km west of the African coast, is part of a trial by Norwegian charging company Easee and Japanese car brand Subaru.
The government hopes that by upgrading the local infrastructure first, it will encourage the public to switch from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles.
As Saint Helena speeds up its shift towards sustainability, it's part of a plan to gradually reduce the island's reliance on pricey fossil fuel imports.
Electric vehicles (EVs) can be a viable option even in the most isolated or secluded locations
"It enables us to put our systems through rigorous testing, whether that's the data connection to the charger, or anything else we want to test remotely," says Adam Rodgers, country director for Easee for the UK and Ireland.
“We’re very confident we can – we’ve proven that in the past – but it will be a real live testbed for us to just really test and make sure the next generation of chargers that we might produce have taken some of that knowledge into consideration as well.”
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For Lorraine Bishton, managing director of Subaru UK, it indicates that electric vehicles are a viable choice even in areas with little infrastructure.
“There's a lot of misconceptions about EVs right now,” she says, “They're viewed very much as a city vehicle, but actually they're just as suitable in rural communities or rural areas as they are in an urban setting.”
To be frank, if you're able to drive an electric vehicle in such a challenging environment, then you can handle it anywhere.
Public views towards electric vehicles (EVs) on the island of St Helena are shifting.
The government has reduced the tax on importing electric vehicles to virtually zero, but surprising, just one vehicle from Subaru managed to boost the total imported figures by 20 percent.
“There are only a handful of electric vehicles on the island currently,” says Mark Brooks, Minister for Treasury and Economic Development in the St Helena government.
We want to encourage people to bring in more electric vehicles. To do so, we can install electric charging stations, set up the necessary infrastructure, and then explore policies to boost the number of electric vehicles operating on the island.
Despite this, Tara Wortley, a businesswoman and one of the few electric vehicle owners on St. Helena, notes that people's opinions about EVs are rapidly shifting.
She wonders whether renewable energy and electric vehicles are going to be a part of Saint Helena's future, but she points out, "we've had electric vehicles arrive on the island now and they do work.”
Wortley found using an EV to be cheaper. What would have cost her around £7 to £8 (roughly €8 to €9) a day to drive a diesel car is her daily electric car costs, totaling only £0.17 (€0.20).
There are business opportunities as well in this green shift. Derek Pedley plans to introduce a fleet of electric rental vehicles to St Helena by early 2025 - for both tourists and local residents.
"I think particularly on the rental market at the beginning because I'll say they'll classify that as a lower risk," he says.
All of the island's electric vehicles are currently charged at home. Pedley suggests that it would make sense to provide charging stations in Jamestown and even at the airport for individuals picking up rental cars.
"I am certain that within five years, the number of electric cars you would find on the island would reach triple digits," he concludes.
Making an island run on renewable energy
The cost of importing fossil fuels has now prompted the government of St Helena to give greater attention to its available energy options.
St Helena is seeking to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels. Presently, it spends approximately £5 million (€6 million) annually to import fuel for power and vehicles, which accounts for roughly one-seventh of its £34 million (€40.5 million) annual income from the UK.
"Notably, given St Helena's geographical isolation, fuels need to be brought in at least every month or every six weeks at the minimum," explains Merril Lawrence, Electricity Generation Manager at Connect, St Helena, in response to my inquiry.
Every day, but also another day.
We're situated just below the equator, which means we experience about 12 hours of sunlight daily, for nearly the entire year. Additionally, being a small island in the middle of the ocean, we consistently have a gentle breeze blowing through.
“Yes, we actually have exceptionally favorable conditions for harnessing both solar and wind energy.”
It plans to increase the proportion from 25 percent to 80 percent within the next four years. It believes it can fully transition to renewable energy in the future.
"We are a tiny island with a small population and a tiny government, so I think it is very feasible for us to go fully green," Brooks says.
“From a resilience perspective, we could initially opt for diesel generation in the event of a power supply disruption with renewables, but it's entirely feasible that we can sustain an entire island on renewable energy.”
Watch the video above to see the world's farthest-away electric vehicle charger in operation.