A rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Point (EVCP) has been activated at the Beeches Car Park in Cirencester.
The new charge point was damaged by vandals and required a repair before it could be commissioned and registered with the ‘Charge Your Car’ network. This will complement the other EVCP at Old Market Way car park in Moreton-in-Marsh, here which the Council launched several weeks ago.
Both EVCPs were made possible when the Council obtained funding from the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV.) and they should encourage people to adopt a greener mode of travel between locations in the north and south of the district and beyond, as they also link to a nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure
Cllr Chris Hancock, the CDC Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Partnerships, said: “This is a great day for the Cotswolds now that we have two EVCPs up and running. The launch of the first EVCP at Moreton was a significant milestone, but now that we also have a hub in Cirencester we can proudly claim that we are providing an important strategic link between charging points on the M4, M5 and M40. Electric vehicle drivers can now be reassured that they are being provided with charging points in both the north and south of the District, and this should boost our tourism and hospitality industry.”
The EVCPs will allow motorists to charge their vehicles in about 30 minutes – up to 8 hours quicker than standard charge points, and also a 3-4 hours improvement on fast charge points. There will be a £4 ‘charge and park’ fee which will cover a charge-up for each vehicle using the EVCPs and up to an hour’s worth of parking. The Council will also ensure that users can access a Pay As You Go service via telephone or mobile phone app to pay for this new service.