Switch EV Trial BackgroundQ1. How do I take part in the Switch EV Trial?
Q2. Where can I find out more about the project partners?
Q3 How is the Switch EV project funded?
Q4 How many vehicles are on trial with the Switch EV project?
Q5 Where can I buy an electric vehicle?
Electric VehiclesQ6 How much can I save by driving an electric vehicle?
Q7 What are the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle?
Q8 What are the financial benefits of driving an electric vehicle?
Q9 Is the battery range of the vehicle affected by the individuals driving style?
Insurance / BreakdownQ10 Where can I get insurance for the electric vehicle?
Q11 Do I need to arrange insurance for the electric vehicle during the trial?
Q12 Do I need to arrange breakdown cover for the electric vehicle during the trial?
ChargingQ13 Can I get charging infrastructure installed at my workplace?
Q14 Can I get charging infrastructure installed at my home address?
Q15 What if I can’t get at work or at home charging infrastructure installed?
Q16 How do I access the public charging points?
Q17 Will my journeys in the electric vehicle be monitored?
OtherQ18 What is the minimum / maximum mileage requirement for the 6 month trial period?
Q19 Can I put livery on the vehicle for the 6 month trial period?
Q1 How do I take part in the Switch EV Trial?
A1. If you would like to get involved in the trial and lease one of the Switch EV electric vehicles for 6 months, and are applying on behalf of an organisation, please complete our questionnaire by clicking
here or email info@futuretransportsystems.co.uk to register your interest. If you are applying individually, or for your family, please complete this
questionnaire instead. You will receive an initial questionnaire to assess your eligibility, and a follow up call from the Switch EV partnership.
Top of pageQ2 Where can I find out more about the project partners?
A2. For more information about the project partners please follow the links below:
Top of pageQ3 How is the Switch EV project funded?
A3. The project has been funded by the Technology Strategy Board, One North East, Nissan, Smith Electric Vehicles, Liberty Electric Cars, Avid Vehicles and the Transport Operations and Research Group at Newcastle University.
Top of pageQ4 How many vehicles are on trial with the Switch EV project?
A4. There are currently 49 electric vehicles involved in the Switch EV project. This includes 20 of the Nissan LEAF, 15 Peugeot iOns, 11 Avid CUE-Vs, 2 Liberty E-Range Range Rovers and 1 Smith Electric Vehicles Edison Minibus.
Top of pageQ5 Where can I buy an electric vehicle?
A5. Current sales of electric vehicles are limited, but the online resource at
Newride has links to many of the manufacturers. There will soon be more information on this site about dealerships in the North East who will stock and service electric vehicles, so please keep checking back.
Top of pageQ6 How much can I save by driving an electric vehicle?
A6. That is one of the questions we will be asking during this trial! We expect that a full charge (taking you approx 100 miles) will cost no more than £1.50. The price will vary, depending on the type and size of the vehicle, the electricity tariff that you are on, and the time of day that you are recharging the car.
There will be no road tax to pay, there are fewer moving parts, so servicing and maintenance will be cheaper, and a number of incentives will make running an electric car cheaper than a standard vehicle. These include free parking privileges, free recharging from public charging points, exemption from current or future charges (for example congestion charges or work place parking charges). There are also significant tax benefits for companies using electric vehicles.
The Plug in Car grant, which will be available from January 2011, will also give you up to 25% off the cost of an electric vehicle, to a maximum of £5,000. Not all cars will qualify, so it is worth checking first. The Nissan LEAF will qualify for the discount.
Top of pageQ7 What are the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle?
A7. Again, we will be investigating this during the trial. There are no tailpipe emissions from an electric car, which means better air quality where the cars are driven, with no CO2, no NOX or particulates released while driving. However, there are emissions associated with the building and transporting of electric vehicles (as with all cars) and with the creation of electricity to power them. The most up to date research currently available in the UK states that an electric car charged on the current grid mix emits 40% less CO2 than an average petrol driven car, over a life time of 6 years.
TORG will be completing research into these questions, and we will keep the results up to date on this website, so please keep checking back!
Top of pageQ8 What are the financial benefits of driving an electric vehicle?
A8. There are many significant financial benefits of driving electric vehicles, including lower running costs, lower refuelling costs and opportunities for free parking and charging. More information on specific savings can be found on our
financial benefits page.
Top of pageQ9 Is the battery range of the vehicle affected by the individuals driving style?
A9. Yes, in a similar way to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars the way in which you drive the electric vehicle will affect its battery range. If you are constantly driving aggressively, with hard braking and fast acceleration, then you will see a decrease in battery range. Similarly, an "eco driving" style will maximise the amount of regenerative energy put back into the battery, and will result in greater mileage. High speed and motorway driving also uses more power, resulting in a potential reduction in range. Don’t forget the electric cars have been designed with urban driving in mind!
Top of pageQ10 Where can I get insurance for the electric vehicle?
A10. There are a number of options available when insuring an electric vehicle. We recommend that you get in contact with your existing insurance provider to see if they can provide cover for electric vehicles. Alternatively,
Pluginsure and the
Bollington Group should be able to provide you with electric vehicle insurance cover for your period on the trial. As more insurance companies offer insurance we will update this section.
Top of pageQ11 Do I need to arrange insurance for the electric vehicle during the trial?
A11. All vehicles in the Switch EV trial must be covered by fully comprehensive insurance for the duration of the trial. Both Nissan and Smith Electric Vehicles will provide this insurance to those trialling the LEAF and Edison Minibus respectively (subject to driving history). However if you are leasing a Peugeot iOn, Avid CUE-V or Liberty E-Range then you will have to provide your own insurance cover for the duration of the trial.
Top of pageQ
12 Do I need to arrange breakdown cover for the electric vehicle during the trial?
A12. All vehicles on the trial will come with 24 hour breakdown cover.
Top of pageQ13 Can I get charging infrastructure installed at my workplace?
A13. The Plugged in Places scheme is still available for organisations to join. The regional scheme will provide 50% funding towards the purchase and installation of charging infrastructure at your workplace. The charging infrastructure put in place through this scheme will remain in place after your period on the Switch EV trial has ended. For further details on this please contact Josey Wardle at josey.wardle@onenortheast.co.uk
Top of pageQ14 Can I get charging infrastructure installed at my home address?
A14. For trial candidates involved in Switch EV, we may be able to install domestic recharging units (Pod Points) at your home address for the duration of the trial, free of charge through the Plugged in Places scheme. In order to install a Pod Point you must own the house and have a driveway or garage. The installation will also be subject to the results of a pre-wiring survey. At the end of the trial the domestic recharging unit will be removed and the wiring made safe for you.
Top of pageQ15 What if I can’t get at work or at home charging infrastructure installed?
A15. The North East has an ever increasing number of publically available charging points which can be accessed through the Charge Your Car scheme. This scheme provides you with unlimited access to the charging infrastructure where you will benefit from free parking as you charge.
Top of pageQ16 How do I access the public charging points?
A16. All of the public charging points in the North East can be accessed by becoming a member of the
Charge Your Car scheme. Membership costs £10 per month or £100 per year. Upon joining the scheme you will be issued with a membership card which can be used to operate all public charging points.
Top of pageQ17 Will my journeys in the electric vehicle be monitored?
A17. The primary focus of the Switch EV trial is to capture data and gather information about how the electric vehicles perform when being used in day to day life. For this reason each of the 49 electric vehicles on trial has been fitted with a data logger that will record data directly from the vehicle. This will then be analysed by the Transport Operations Research Group (TORG) at Newcastle University. Please note all data collected will be anonymous.
Top of pageQ18 What is the minimum / maximum mileage requirement for the 6 month trial period?
A18. In order to ensure that enough valuable data is collected during the trial each vehicle must travel at least 2000 miles during the 6 month period. There is no maximum limit over the 6 months however upon completing 6000 miles we do ask that you contact Future Transport Systems and inform them of this.
Top of pageQ19 Can I put livery on the vehicle for the 6 month trial period?
A19. Currently you cannot put your own livery on the Nissan LEAF. On all other Switch EV vehicles there is space for your own livery. All livery will need to be approved by Future Transport Systems and will need to be removed at the end of the six month trial.
Top of pageMore FAQs coming soon!