North East appeals to businesses to provide charging points for electric vehicles

Businesses in the North East of England have been called on to become hosts of electric vehicle (EV) charge points in a bid to create a regional charging network and combat the much-feared “range anxiety” among drivers.

Regional Development Agency One North East (ONE) is asking firms to host one of twelve 50kW quick chargers, which can recharge batteries to 80 per cent of their capacity in around half an hour, compared to eight hours for a full charge using a 3kW charge point or four hours using a 7kW charge point.

ONE said it is already in talks with a number of firms who have offered to host a quick charger. However, it is looking for more businesses to come forward, particularly roadside services, or organisations located on or near the major trunk roads and spine roads in the North East.

Any firm which agrees to host a charge point will have to provide a parking space and fund the ongoing maintenance and electricity costs, however, ONE says it will pay for the “prohibitively high up-front” cost of installation.

“We are now offering the opportunity to be one of the first locations in Europe for quick chargers which represent a real opportunity for businesses." said ONE manufacturing and productivity manager Colin Herron.

As electric vehicles become more popular, these 12 sites will have the potential to attract significant numbers of drivers, who will be a captive audience for a 20-minute period while they are charging up."

ONE has touted the quick chargers as a “major weapon” for combating so called ‘range anxiety’, the fear that when an EV battery runs out, the driver will find him or herself stranded on a roadside with no way of recharging.

“It is hoped that they will provide reassurance for drivers that journeys beyond a full battery charge are possible in and around the North East,” said ONE in a statement.

However, tests carried out by Mitsubishi in June this year, suggested that drivers use the cars in a similar way to their petrol equivalents and have shown little evidence of falling victim to "range anxiety".

The 12 quick charge points will make up just a fraction of the 1,300 points which are expected to be rolled out in the North East. Other technology will include residential charging points and a mixture of standard and ‘intelligent’ 7kW and 3kW charge points at businesses and in public car parks.

The project is part of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) 'Plugged-In Places' initiative, aiming to establish electric vehicle recharging infrastructure across the UK.

The North East fund of £7.8m has been funded with £2.9m from OLEV, £3.8m from One North East and just over £1m from other regional partners.