gUERNSEY’S SIZE IS A HUGE PLUS FOR ELECTRIC CARS
‘GUERNSEY is a prime target for electrification,’ said Stuart Foulds, chairman and CEO of TrustFord on a recent visit to the island. Citing small travelling distances as key, he said: ‘One of the issues for the mainland is that if you’re travelling 40 miles to work and 40 miles back, in some cases you’re at the limit of the car’s capability.
‘On the island here, if you only travel three or four miles to work, then you’ve potentially got a whole week’s worth of electricity before you have to recharge. And that’s a huge plus.’
Electrification could have wider impacts on the car industry. Mr Foulds said that he thought there would be more consolidation.
‘As we move towards electrification, dealers will find that the technology and training costs [of staff] is significant.’
Other technological initiatives – including driverless cars – may initially struggle here, he said. Such technology was ‘very well suited to motorways and main arterial roads’. Not so good for Guernsey, then, with its narrow roads and oncoming traffic – or, indeed, the need to hop on the pavement to avoid a wing-mirror kiss.
Discussing other motoring issues in the headlines here, Mr Foulds said he backed the introduction of MOT-style testing – some form of control on the quality of cars was essential, he said.
‘The island needs to come to the party to make cars safer. As they don’t have to have an annual check, some cars are, in some cases, downright dangerous.’
And he had this to say about the future of the car retail market: ‘Everything is moving towards immediacy. In this ever-changing world, millennials and the public at large want product now. They buy things online and want them delivered. The high street has changed.’
It’s been under his leadership that the company has introduced the concept of TrustFord Now – a same-day drive-away service. ‘If someone drove in here today and said they wanted a new car, they can drive it away within an hour. That, to me, is the future of car retailing.’
