Electric vehicle owners will have more places to charge their cars or vans from early next year
Chargepoints will be ready to use in 18 Dorset Council-owned car parks from February 2021.
The fast (22kW) chargepoints, using 100% renewable energy supplied by Statkraft, will enable drivers to charge their electric vehicles whilst visiting the county’s towns.
The fast chargepoints are well suited to town centre car parks for drivers who want a quick ‘top up’. Vehicles can also be fully charged at the chargepoints. This normally takes between two and four hours from empty, depending on the vehicle’s battery capacity.
It is cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle. To fully charge a vehicle would take less than 2 hours and cost approximately £12.50p. Normal car parking charges will apply whilst charging.
The Energy Savings Trust provides practical vehicle charging advice. Their Charging Best Practice Guide helps to answer many frequently asked questions.
Dorset Council’s commitment
Dorset Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2040. It is also committed to helping work towards the whole of Dorset becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.
Councillor Ray Bryan, Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “Providing drivers with more chargepoints for their electric vehicles is an exciting step towards our commitment to becoming carbon-neutral. It also helps make life easier for motorists who are seeking more environmentally friendly methods of travel.
“With Government plans to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and more people seeking to go electric, now is the time to offer Dorset’s residents, businesses and visitors sustainable travel options.”
Sites
Joju Charging will commence installation of the chargepoints in January and February. Once active, the chargepoints will appear on Zap Map. The car parks are:
- Langton Road, Blandford Forum, DT11 7DZ
- Fairfield long stay, Dorchester, DT1 1QW
- Wollaston Field, Dorchester, DT1 1EQ
- Gas Lane, Gillingham, SP8 4AT
- Holmbush, Lyme Regis, DT7 3HX
- Bell Street, Shaftesbury, SP7 8AP
- Coldharbour, Sherborne, DT9 4HA
- Old Market Yard, Sherborne, DT9 3HR
- Potters Wheel, Manor Way, Verwood, BH31 7AQ
- The Hub, Verwood, BH31 7QE
- Rempstone Centre, Wareham, BH20 4NX
- West Bay Road, West Bay, DT6 4EL
- Governor’s Lane, Weymouth, DT4 8DD
- Lodmoor, Weymouth, DT4 7SX
- Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, DT4 7DW
- Swannery, Weymouth, DT4 7TY
- King Street, Wimborne Minster, BH21 1EA
- Westfield Close, Wimborne Minster, BH21 1ES
Work at the sites is planned to start in January 2021, when SSE and Western Power Distribution will begin installing new electrical connections.
Funding
The installation and management costs of the chargepoints will be met by Joju Charging and their funding partners, Gronn Kontakt (owned by Statkraft). In return, Dorset Council receive a profit share generated by each chargepoint for the next 15 years.
Councillor Bryan said: “Dorset Council has a key leadership role to play in tackling climate change and dealing with its consequences, but we do need private sector investment to help us achieve this. Therefore, I am pleased we are working closely with Joju Charging and Gronn Kontakt to drive forward the use of electric vehicles in Dorset.”
Chris Jardine, Technical Director at Joju Charging, said: “The Government has sent a clear signal with the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 – the future of transport is electric. That means installing millions of EV chargers in homes, businesses and public places.
“Our work installing charge points for councils across the south of England was recognised with the Public Sector Infrastructure Project of the Year at this year’s EVIEs Awards. We also received the Contractor of the Year Award for our wider work installing charge points in homes and businesses.”
Looking ahead
Future plans include replacement of Dorset Council’s five existing rapid chargers in spring 2021 at the following car parks:
- East Street, Bridport, DT6 3LL
- Trinity Street, Dorchester, DT1 1AG
- Charmouth Road, Lyme Regis, DT7 3DR
- Harbourside, Weymouth, DT4 8NA
- Allenview West, Wimborne Minster, BH21 1AU
The council is also looking at alternative ways to fund further sites that cannot be privately funded through the contract with Joju Charging. Residents and businesses are encouraged to provide suggestions for locations of further charging points by completing the online form at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/parking/charging-your-electric-vehicle.aspx
This is a start but many many more points will be needed as people move to electric vehicles. A great number of people will depend on these points as they will not have any capability of charging at their homes.
I WOULD THINK UPTON WOULD NEED A CHARGEING PIONT AND LYTCHETT MINSTER .??
How many outlets will there be in each car park centre?
Hi Carolyn, each car park will have at least two charging sockets, with four sockets each for Fairfield in Dorchester, West Bay and Holme Bush, Lyme Regis car parks
They had electric milk foatt in the 70,s charged during the day!
And still none in Portland despite having equitable populations to some of these areas which are receiving two charging installations. This is not good enough.
While it is commendable to be encouraging the use of electric vehicles, it is nonsense to suggest that the energy provided via charging points is 100% renewable as in the 2nd paragraph above. Whoever you pay for the supply of the energy provided, even if they are associated with renewable power generation facilities, has very little bearing on the ‘renewability’ of the energy actually supplied unless it has a dedicated network of cables supplied only by renewable generation facilities. I rather doubt this is the case. It is much more likely that it is fed from the National Grid, in which case the ‘generation mix’ of the energy supplied is whatever it happens to be at the time. Currently, it is typically 50% gas, 20-25% nuclear, 15-20% renewables and 10% other e.g. imports from France. This is just another case of some energy companies erroneously claiming that they only supply renewable energy to the user at the other end of the supply network.
Ditto the above. And will space(s) at the charging points be reserved specifically for e-cars? And if not what enforcement will there be to prevent non e-cars parking in the space(s)? Or is it just going to be a case of first come first served?
These are fast chargers so not the rapid chargers available now – good for visitors but not for those wanting to ‘fill up’ on a journey. What type of connectors? As people will need to connect for a few hours, I hope that there will be at least 4 connectors at each location preferably 8. Will they take bank cards (the easiest) or one of the Apps/RFID cards used at the existing rapid chargers.
It would be great if charge points were added to residential streets as well. I read about them being added to lampposts I think London were planning this? or 1 or 2 on each street to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles.
Why have you chosen fast and not rapid chargers? Anyone commuting by EV or running a local business van needs a quick 20 minute top up needs a rapid charger. Please don’t remove rapid chargers, that is not progress. The existing rapid charger at East Street in Bridport is brilliant for anyone travelling west. Please don’t take out rapid chargers there are few enough as it is
“Looking ahead – Future plans include replacement of Dorset Council’s five existing rapid chargers in spring 2021”. This is looking backwards not looking progressively ahead!
Why don’t these councilors wake up!
Install (VERY CHEAP SUBSIDISED) electric chargers in (say Wimborne for example) this would pull many people into the towns and whilst they were waiting to get topped up would be spending money in the towns, thereby reinvigorating the retail businesses of the towns.
‘Come on you guys’ get moving ! !
Hi
I have to make a trip to Portland from Brighton, so would be great to know if these are up and running yet? Also is there any charging points on Portland?
How about free charging for electric taxis, to encourage other taxis in the county to go electric? The cost would be worth if for the reduction in pollution levels. Go Eco Cabs in West Dorset are leading the way with 3 fully electric taxis.
how long does it take to charge an electric car?
Charging times depend on the type of charge point you use to charge your electric vehicle. You can find a simple guide to the different types of charge points and their charge times on the Energy Saving Trust’s website, along with lots of other useful electric vehicle advice and information: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/charging-electric-vehicles/.