The North York Moors National Park Authority has partnered with Zest, to install new electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities for public use. The first new chargers are open now in the car park at Hutton le Hole, with work beginning soon in Newton under Roseberry.
Zest has jointly funded the project alongside the National Park Authority to enable EV charging in these popular rural destinations. Zest will also operate and maintain the 7kW chargers to ensure a reliable, long-term service.
The North York Moors National Park covers 554 square miles between Scarborough, Thirsk, and Teesside. Its moorland, coastline and wildlife attract almost nine million visitors a year.
“The introduction of EV charging points to the National Park has marked a significant step forward in terms of reducing carbon emissions in the North York Moors and we are delighted to see them rolled out across two more of our car parks,” said Lucas St John, Commercial Manager for the National Park Authority.
“Hutton le Hole and Roseberry Topping are much-loved visitor destinations, so it’s really important that we provide facilities like EV charging to accommodate people now and in the future.”
This latest deployment follows a series of charge points opened last year by North Yorkshire Council and Zest. In the market towns of Helmsley, Malton, and Pickering, EV charging facilities have already proved popular with residents and visitors.
Six new charge points offering 12 charging connectors are open now in the car park at Hutton-le-Hole.
“The offer of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is vital to those working in, living in, and visiting our beautiful county," said North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby.
“Each year millions of visitors flock to the North York Moors, and this increased footfall means we need to be prepared for a larger number of electric vehicles.
“Last year we adopted a new county-wide strategy to make electric vehicle charging available to all. We hope an enhanced network of charging points will support the uptake of electric vehicles over the next 10 years and help to tackle climate change.”
Users of the Zapmap app and web map can see the live status and availability of Zest charge points at any time, thanks to its live data partnership with Zapmap.
“For a smooth transition to EV we need to invest in charging facilities at all the places where people naturally park, including popular rural destinations like National Parks," said Zest Founder and CEO, Robin Heap.
Our partnership with North York Moors shows the power of investing in the future, and that rural areas can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.”
