1,200 miles off the southwest coast of Africa is the remote island of St. Helena. The island stood out for being Napoleon’s last place of exile; It’s also home to a 192-year-old turtle named Jonathan and is now home to the world’s most remote public electric charging station.
The charger forms part of a plan for the island to run on sustainable power and have zero-emission transport by the end of the decade.
Global automaker Subaru and Norwegian electric vehicle charger Easee have collaborated with the government of Saint Helena to test the viability, adaptability and reliability of electric vehicles on one of the most remote inhabited islands on the planet.
The two-month trial involved the installation of an Easee charger next to the Jamestown Museum on the island, which was connected to the island’s grid through electricity provider Connect St Helena Ltd. The first to use the charger was a Subaru Solterra that then set its paces through the rugged landscape of St. Helena.
Only four electric vehicles are in use in St Helena and none use the latest EV technology. This meant the Solterra drew a lot of attention when it landed on St Helena shores. After vigorous testing on sealed and dirt roads, the Solterra used no more than 20% of its battery capacity over a dynamic 50-mile run.
Saint Helena has a wind farm and a solar panel that supply up to 25% of the island’s electrical energy needs, with the remainder produced through a diesel plant. The power station uses £5 million ($6 million) of fuel shipped from South Africa a year. That said, the government of Saint Helena plans for 80% of the island’s electrical energy to be generated through renewable sources, such as the sun and wind, until 2028.
The Easee charging point will remain on the island and become part of its expanding EV infrastructure that will support a fleet of small electric cars being imported for tourist and islander use this year.
“From Subaru’s perspective, it’s an honor to be involved in a project that could potentially lead to a fully sustainable future for Saint Helena,” commented Lorraine Bishton, Managing Director of Subaru UK.
“The fact that we do not send a technician with the Solterra is a true testament to the reliability and features of the Subaru. And to be honest, if you can drive an EV in this type of environment, you can drive it anywhere. Bishton adds.
Saint Helena’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mark Brooks, said: “The next step is to put the infrastructure in place so that we can use more and more electric cars on the island. Basically, there are a lot of diesel and gasoline cars and we need to replace them. ” . this behavior and launch more electric cars.
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