Earlier in the week a presentation was made to the proprietors of rent-a-car businesses to persuade them to purchase electric cars, motorcycles and bicycles to rent to their customers. At the beginning of the summer last year the Town Hall, in collaboration with the Govern, installed several recharging stations dotted around the island, but only one company in the sector actually acquired and rented vehicles which are propelled by electricity. Over the past four years improved technology in this field has allowed the batteries to become smaller and more efficient, and there is a motorbike on the market which has a similar performance to a 125 cc bike.
Six suppliers of this type of vehicle were invited to present their products and demonstrate their advantages. Unfortunately it is a question of economics, as the electric cars cost three times as much as their petrol-driven rivals. The rent-a-car companies would therefore have to charge more, an additional outlay most holidaymakers would not be prepared to pay. At the moment there are fourteen points where batteries may be recharged, but it is envisaged that they will be increased to 26 during the year.
