Charge point operator Mer and installers Joju Charging are supporting Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council with the roll out of new electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
More than 130 new chargers are to be installed across 34 Council-owned carparks. Four sites have been designated for rapid hub installations of eight 50kW-150kW rapid chargers, including Hawkwood Road and the Pavilion car parks in Bournemouth, Bank Close in Christchurch, and Seldown in Poole.
Mer had initially installed 12 rapid chargers across the area, as part of an upgrade and replacement programme on historic infrastructure. The expansion of BCP’s infrastructure is now continuing, as Mer continues to partner with Joju Charging.
Councillor Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for transport and sustainability, said: “The proposed infrastructure ensures the transition to electric transportation amongst our local residents is more accessible. Now with additional infrastructure to the existing chargers at supermarkets and hotels, residents and visitors can feel confident that EV driving is an achievable and attractive prospect.”
Sustainable transport forms a key part of the Council’s ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency’ it declared in 2019. Among the pledges was the re-examination of the taxi licensing criteria so that it prompts an uptake of electric/hydrogen vehicles, the exploration of the introduction of electric/hydrogen buses, and the consideration of the installation of electric vehicle charge points across the conurbation. To meet its sustainability goals in the transport field, the council decided an increase in EV charging infrastructure was needed.
Carried out through Hampshire County Council’s Central Southern Region Framework (CSR), the expansion of BCPs infrastructure has been almost four years in the making.
Mer’s rapid hub chargers will dynamically balance the power available across charging vehicles. This means that if fewer than eight cars are charging, then each vehicle can charge at a higher power, making charging more efficient for residents and visitors.
Karl Anders, managing director of Mer UK, added: “Working with a major Unitary Authority like BCP Council, that is prioritising the planet by tackling climate change and driving EV adoption for residents, is an encouraging step forward to meeting the government’s 2030 targets.”
With Joju Charging, Mer is deploying more and more chargers across the South Coast of England, and this project is in addition to those in the neighbouring councils of Dorset (50 chargers), New Forest (20 chargers), and Isle of Wight (28 chargers).
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Matt has been an automotive journalist for eight years. As senior staff writer he is responsible for the automotive content on Fleet News and also contributes to Automotive Management. Prior to this, Matt worked in the automotive industry for 10 years.
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