This project has ended. It set out to review how people travel around Mull and Iona, to improve what was already in place and to cut carbon emissions from island transport. It ran as the Mull and Iona Sustainable Transport project, or MIST.
If you have a question about electric vehicles, please call the office on 01680 812900 or email enquiries@mict.co.uk.
What the project achieved
Information. MIST worked with the local council to produce a full list of transport providers in Mull and Iona for the Travel Times transport guide. Details of the charging point network, a charging map and contacts for electric vehicle information were added too. Eleven thousand copies were printed for Mull, Iona and Oban, and an online version was published.
Technology. By March 2016 the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the island had risen from 3 to 11, more than double the project target. That was 8 resident all-electric car owners and 3 hybrid owners, 2 of them plug-in. As a result 8.92 tonnes of carbon was saved, with a pro rata annual saving of 11.26 tonnes CO2e, or a lifetime saving of 112.6 tonnes CO2e over ten years.
Research into the most suitable electric vehicles led to the purchase of two: a Nissan Leaf Acenta and a Citroen Berlingo LX Electric Van. A partnership agreement with Mitsubishi Motors brought a third vehicle on short term loan, a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
John Lilly of Dragon Electrics, an expert in electric vehicle conversions, came to the island for a series of events on how different electric vehicles work, and on maintenance and safety.
Communication. Project officers attended 10 events and ran 8 more, including work with the Energy Savings Trust and Dragon Electrics. There were 141 test drives in the MIST vehicles, far beyond what was expected. Thirty seven businesses were told about the government incentives available; 34 came back for more advice and 29 went on to test drive or borrow a MIST vehicle. Two local electricians were sent information on becoming certified charge point installers.
Lift sharing. In July 2015 MIST set up the Mull and Iona Lift-share Facebook group, with a teamup calendar for forward planning linked from the group. Membership grew to 452 over seven months. A total of 37,081 km of lifts were offered and 14,432 km taken, saving 3,357kg of carbon. Car stickers were produced with a lift-share logo, and the project pressed the council and private organisations for designated lift-share parking bays.
Driver training. Fuel efficient driver training ran over three days from 2 to 4 March 2016. Nineteen places were taken by drivers with above average annual mileage, typical for the area. Total lifetime savings over ten years were calculated at 89.95 tonnes CO2e.
What came next. A feasibility study for a community car club was produced, bringing both project vehicles into a car club with an action plan and financial forecast.
The project met its objectives and outcomes exceeded expectations. It was recognised locally and nationally in the media and won the Scottish Rural Parliament Award for Innovation and Transport. The support from the community made it work, and our thanks go to everyone who took part.
TO CONFIRM: The old page carried a CCF logo but never names the funder in text. We need the full funder name. The car club feasibility study is also not published anywhere we can link to.
Saving fuel on island journeys
These tips came out of the project and still hold for anyone driving here.
- Make fewer trips. A cold engine uses much more fuel for the first five miles or so. Combining errands into one run saves more than most people expect.
- Do not carry weight you do not need. The heavier the load in the boot, the more fuel the car uses. The heaviest items are the ones we are least likely to bother taking out.
- Go easy on the accelerator. Pushing the pedal a long way to avoid changing down a gear uses more fuel, not less, even in a high gear at a sensible speed.
- Look ahead and slow down gently. Most clutch wear happens pulling away in first gear. Reading the road ahead and holding a steady slow speed beats accelerating and braking. Do not tailgate.
- Skip a gear now and then. Nothing says you have to work through every gear. First to third, or second to fourth, is fine.
- Check your tyre pressures. Low pressures mean more fuel. Five minutes a fortnight is enough. The right figures are usually printed near the lock inside the driver’s door.
- Accelerate smoothly. A constant speed in the highest gear is the most efficient way to travel. Patient drivers have lower fuel bills.
- Stick to the speed limit. Driving faster shaves little off a journey and uses a good deal more fuel.
- Turn the air conditioning off when you do not need it. It uses a noticeable amount of fuel.
- Close the windows and sunroof at higher speeds. Anything that makes wind noise is costing you fuel. Use the air vents instead.
- Take roof racks and boxes off when you are not using them. Even an empty rack increases drag, and a roof box is like strapping another car to the roof.
TO CONFIRM: These tips date from the project and were written for mainland driving – the originals refer to motorways, traffic lights, rush hour traffic and a fuel cost figure. They read as dated. Worth a check by someone at MICT before publishing, or dropping in favour of a current source.
