BCP powers ahead with electric vehicle charger bay roll-out, including Christchurch

BCP Council is powering ahead with rolling out over 130 new publicly accessible electric vehicle charger bays, including at nine sites across Christchurch.

The boost in council provision over the next year will add to electric vehicle (EV) charger points already provided by supermarkets and hotels in the town, Bournemouth and Poole.

As a result, the council believes the region will become one of the best places in the country to visit with or own an electric vehicle.

The roll-out’s first phase will include a mixture of new fast and rapid chargers installed at 34 council-owned car parks this summer.

Rapid chargers (50kW) can charge most electric cars from empty to 80% in about 40 minutes or give smaller top-ups in a shorter time.

The fast chargers (22kW) are more suited to district centres where shoppers can fully charge their cars during a two-hour stay.

Cllr Mike Greene, portfolio holder for transport and sustainability, said: “This transformational step forward in the provision of EV charging infrastructure in our area is about making sure that we are prepared for the future.

“The siting of these new chargers in public car parks means that they are easily accessible for local people who do not have charging points at their homes, as well as for visitors.

“With so many chargers, spread across so much of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, there should be a charger nearby for everyone.”

Mer, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, is providing the new chargers, which will be installed and maintained by their UK partner, Joju Charging.

Users can pay via the Mer app (downloadable onto smart phones), by using roaming partners such as Zap Pay; or, when using a rapid charger, by tapping a contactless card reader on the charger itself.

The first phase will see chargers installed at the following Christchurch area car parks: Avon Run Road, Bridge Street, Bypass, Highcliffe clifftop, Mudeford Quay, Priory, Wick Lane, Willow Way, and Wortley Road.

For more information on BCP Council’s network of EV chargers visit bit.ly/3lu9Ni2