The first public rapid charging hub in the North West of England has opened on the M6.
Six 50kW rapid chargers can now be found just off the motorway at the Caton Road park-and-ride, operated by BP Chargemaster. A further 12 7kW charging points are situated there too in order to serve electric vehicle drivers who are planning on using the park-and-ride services at the location.
The addition of these charging stations will make longer journeys along the M6 much easier for EV drivers and will no doubt alleviate the 'range anxiety' associated with longer mileage journeys.
Matteo de Renzi, chief executive of BP Chargemaster, said: “Providing convenient and reliable rapid charging along the UK’s motorway network will be key to supporting the uptake of electric vehicles over the coming years. Alongside our own rollout of 150kW ultra-fast chargers on BP forecourts, including some motorway service area locations, we are proud to have opened the first public rapid charging hub on the M6 in partnership with Lancashire County Council.”
The charging points are available on the nationwide Polar network which is claimed to currently be the UK's largest public charging network. All the rapid charge points feature contactless payments and a smartphone app for ease of access.
Lancashire County Council councillor Keith Iddon said: “The charging hub at Lancaster marks another milestone in the evolution of motoring and the move towards electric vehicles. Lancashire is geographically at the centre of Great Britain and an ideal place for a facility such as this which should be popular with owners of electric vehicles making longer journeys through this area.”
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