Deputy Steve Luce said that the Island could have been the ‘leaders of research and development’ with regards to electric cars but has now ‘fallen behind being able to do that’.
His comments come after both the UK and France announced that they intend to ban the sale of fossil-fuelled cars by 2040. Norway – where 25 per cent of all vehicles already run on electricity – are reported to be acting even faster, banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2025.
Deputy Luce said, however, that an outright ban was not necessary in the Island.
He said: ‘I am more than sure that by 2040 we will already be in a situation where we are not using diesel or petrol cars, so I do not see the need to announce a ban.
‘I think the issue of electric cars is coming down the line very quickly and we need to look at ways in which we can facilitate them in so far as having charging points available.
‘I do not want to be in a situation where people want to buy electric cars but do not because they have nowhere to charge them. I do not want the government to be the reason that people do not take them up. That is one of my priorities at the moment.
‘Jersey is an ideal place for electric cars. Unless you drive for a living you are unlikely to cover hundreds of miles in a day – they are really suited to the Island.
