Skip to main content

New charging network brings electric motoring to UK drivers

The completion of a new charging network that stretches the length of Britain’s busiest roads makes long-distance, cross-border journeys by electric vehicles (EV) a realistic prospect for millions more drivers in the UK and Ireland. The network stretches from Stranraer in Scotland to Suffolk in the East of England, from Hull in the North East to Holyhead in north-west Wales, connecting with Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Each installation includes at least two of t
February 26, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The completion of a new charging network that stretches the length of Britain’s busiest roads makes long-distance, cross-border journeys by electric vehicles (EV) a realistic prospect for millions more drivers in the UK and Ireland.

The network stretches from Stranraer in Scotland to Suffolk in the East of England, from Hull in the North East to Holyhead in north-west Wales, connecting with Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

Each installation includes at least two of the latest state-of-the-art multi-standard charge points that are compatible with most EVs on sale today: with outlets available for 44kW CCS, 44kW CHAdeMO or 43kW AC systems. Each charging point is said to be capable of powering a typical electric vehicle’s battery to 80 per cent of its capacity in less than 30 minutes.

The US$8.1 million (€7.4 million) investment in the rapid charge network was part-funded by the European Union’s Trans European Transport Network programme and by four major EV manufacturers: 838 Nissan, 1731 BMW, 2453 Renault and 994 Volkswagen. ESB in Ireland and 6640 Ecotricity in the UK and are the network operators, providing power to the entire rapid charge network charging stations.

The new network was conceived and implemented by Sunderland-based Zero Carbon Futures to meet increasing demand for public charge points and to encourage more motorists to make the switch to plug-in power.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tritium launches 50kW rapid electric vehicle charger
    December 21, 2017
    Australian-based technology company Tritium’s Veefil-RT is a 50kW rapid charger for electric cars and the company claims it is 25 times faster than home charging, meaning a driver can add 50km range to an EV battery in 10 minutes or recharge 80% in around 30 minutes.
  • TRAFIC 2017: Automobile and scooter brands to exhibit electric mobility models
    October 9, 2017
    A total of 8 automobile and scooter brands will be presenting 14 models at TRAFIC 2017, the International Safe and Sustainable Mobility Exhibition, at the new electric and efficient mobility area, from 24 to 27 October. The 15th edition, organised by IFEMA, will feature Audi (F. Tomé), BMW (Cuzco Motor), Hyundai, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Volkswagen (F. Tomé) and NIU (Motos Bordoy) will present their models to professionals and demonstrate the industry's dedication to electric mobility.
  • ReachNow installs 20 public EV charging stations in Seattle
    May 23, 2017
    BMW’s ReachNow car-sharing service has installed the first of 20 Light & Charge electric vehicle (EV) charging locations in Seattle, US, as part of a US$1.2 million investment by the BMW Group. Seattle is the first city in North America to make the award-winning Light & Charge system, which turns existing streetlights into EV charging stations, available to the public.
  • VW & BP move fast on EVs
    May 2, 2022
    Industry giants have partnered to build a fast-charging network across Europe by 2024