UK drivers considering a move to electric driving can discover how much they could save and the electric vehicle (EV) model best suited to them thanks to EV8 Switch, a new space-enabled app. The app from EV8 Technologies, is supported by NatWest Group and is free to download from the Apple App Store and the Android Play Store.

Designed to cut out consumer confusion around how an EV could work for their lifestyle and driving habits, EV8 Switch helps drivers go green with confidence by analysing 14 days’ worth of real-world driving data to provide independent, personalised insights.

A 'Switchability' score shows how much money UK drivers could save by switching to an EV compared to their current petrol or diesel vehicle, along with detail on the CO2 savings and air quality improvements they could achieve.  Drivers can also see which electric vehicles would be the most suitable for them based on their current vehicle and how switching to electric could fit in with their current lifestyle.  EV8 Switch users can also see how close their nearest chargepoints are, and which journeys can be completed without the need to top-up enroute.

Richard Forrest, EV8 Chairman of the Board and Senior Partner, Kearney, said:

“As the climate crisis accelerates, many of us are making changes in our daily lives. Opting to drive an electric car reduces emissions substantially and EV8 Switch helps give drivers the confidence to go green. The app lets drivers make an informed decision, based on their individual driving needs. We encourage people to download EV8 Switch, take the 14 Day Challenge, and see for themselves exactly how an EV could work for them.”

James Close, Head of Climate Change at NatWest Group, commented: "By supporting the work of EV8 Technologies, we are offering a solution to help people and businesses understand their opportunity of going green. We want to be the country’s leading bank in helping to address climate change and are determined to play an active role in the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy. Powerful partnerships will help to accelerate the speed of that transition, and we look forward to continued collaboration with EV8 Technologies in the roll-out of the EV8 Switch app.”

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “As we get ready to host the major UN climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow later this year, the UK is leading the way in using space to help us build back greener. With innovative government-backed projects such as this harnessing of the power of space, making the switch to an electric vehicle will be easier than ever before, helping us take a giant leap towards our goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.”

Robert Evans, CEO of Cenex, adds: “Encouraging the public to switch to zero emission electric vehicles is essential in order to meet the carbon targets set out by the Government and to improve local air quality. EV8 Switch makes that switch easier, by dispelling some of the key myths around range anxiety and chargepoint availability on an individual basis and highlights the personal cost and emissions savings. The results from the app mean users can make informed decisions about future vehicle choices that are best suited to their driving habits.”

Development of the EV8 Switch app was supported by the ESA Space Solutions programme as part of a demonstration project called Human Switch.

Roberta Mugellesi Dow, ESA technical officer for the Human Switch project, commented: “The EV8 Switch app is a superb example of how space-based innovation can promote the transition to electric vehicles. Satellite technology enables the EV8 Switch app to provide clear information about the financial and environmental benefits that switching to an electric car could yield."

Nick Appleyard, Head of ESA Space Solutions, added: “We all know we should make better choices in the climate emergency. But finding the time, the information and the motivation to change somehow stops us. The EV8 Switch app gives us the nudge we need. It gives us just enough information to see how we can save money, cut our pollution, and change to the better driving experience of an electric car. A triple benefit. At the European Space Agency, we want to use space as a tool to help the green transition, so we are proud to have supported the development of this service.”

EV8 Technologies is a joint venture between global consultancy partnership Kearney, independent low-emission transport group Cenex, and Brixworth Technologies a boutique development house which specialises in asset and software solutions.

The UK Space Agency has invested £2.7 million into the EV8 Switch app, through the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES). EV8 Switch is supported by and co-branded with NatWest Group, who hopes the initiative will help people and businesses go green, demonstrating the bank’s commitment to playing an active role in tackling climate change. The bank plans to offer the free app to its customers via a marketing campaign and its mobile app over the coming months.