As part of a joint venture with Nissan and Siemens, Essex County Council has recently installed three new rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points; the points are located at the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Safron Walden (CB11 3EG), George Yard Car Park in Braintree (CM7 1RB) and Colchester United Football Club (CO4 5UP).
The new charging points were funded by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), who awarded Essex County Council a grant of £150,000 earlier in the year.
The rapid charging points can facilitate an 80% charge to an EV in a round 20-30 minutes (dependent on the size of the vehicles battery).
Providing rapid charging points is essential to encouraging the uptake of electric transport. By increasing the numbers of rapid charge points and making sure they are positioned intelligently, concerns over ‘range anxiety’ are bound to dissipate.
Cllr Rodney L. Bass, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “I’m proud that Essex is leading the way in making it easier for drivers to use electric vehicles and supporting the technologies of the future.”
Uttlesford District Council’s cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Susan Barker, added: “Local Councils, in their role as community leaders, need to be proactive in developing the necessary infrastructure to encourage the public to use electric or electric hybrid vehicles.
“This partnership funded project has enabled Uttlesford District Council to support green transport in our district by offering this new facility at the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Saffron Walden.”
The latest charge point to be installed, located at the Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Saffron Walden (CB11 3EG), will be officially unveiled on tomorrow (September 3) at 11am. Although, the point is live and operational now.
All three points are part of the Charge Your Car (CYC) public charging network. To access the points sign up for a £20 annual CYC RFID card or download the CYC Smarphone App for free.
The charging points can be located by either clicking the relevant point link in the opening paragraph, using the Zap-Map search tools or exploring Zap-Map Live, which marks all publicly accessible charging points available in the UK.
Saffron Walden Reporter, Dunmow Broadcast, Colchester United FC
