Bristol’s 100th electric car charging point was activated today as part of a the Source West scheme.
Bristol City Council has added 64 charging bays to the existing 26 within the city region network and completed upgrades to 10 in a bid to improve the speed of charging.
Mayor George Ferguson said: “Electric vehicles make up an important part of Bristol’s low carbon future and with their popularity growing we need the high-quality infrastructure to match. We’ve added four rapid charging points to the network and each of these tops up an EV’s battery to 80% in only 20 minutes, offering a quick and convenient service.
“As we celebrate our year as European Green Capital, we need to do a lot more to make positive impact on the city’s air quality. I’d like to see more low emission vehicles like EVs on our roads and making sure we have the right infrastructure is a step in the right direction. We’re also investigating further incentives to encourage businesses to use electric vehicles, especially for deliveries within the city.”
Four rapid chargers are available for EV drivers to use at Brislington Park and Ride, Portway Park and Ride, Temple Gate Car Park and Southmead Hospital. There are also a number of slow and fast charging points located across the City, many of which are free to use with a Source West membership.
An initial two electric Nissan Leaf pool cars have recently been introduced into the Council’s fleet. Additional funding from the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will fund an EV to perform the Council’s water and air quality monitoring work. The vehicles will be used to help raise awareness of EVs and their role in sustainable transport.
Cllr Mark Bradshaw, Assistant Mayor for Place at Bristol City Council said: “Poor air quality caused by traffic congestion is one of the biggest environmental challenges our city faces and it’s going to take time for the various actions we’re taking now to make a noticeable difference. We’re committed to working with businesses to increase the use of EVs, particularly through the existing Bristol and Bath Freight Consolidation Centre in Avonmouth. We’re also investigating the potential for on street charging points across the city and we’ve introduced a special permit for EV drivers so it is free for them to park in residents’ parking zones if they display their permit.”
Bristol City Council has led a West of England bid for OLEV’s City Scheme through to the final round. This funding will offer two to four cities/regions a share of £35 million in capital funding.
The successful bidders will be awarded the funding to act as exemplars in regards to Ultra Low Emission Vehicle uptake.
The West of England bid aims to include grants to SMEs for EVs, purchase of EVs to be shared used as council fleet, an exemplar multi-modal rapid charging hub capable of charging EV bikes and cars, implementation of additional charging infrastructure as well as the revamp of Source West.
The intention is also to encourage EV Car Clubs so people can hire cleaner and greener vehicles.
