A company which is on a mission to make the UK an easier place to charge electric vehicles is installing two rapid charging points in Bedworth and Nuneaton .
Charging point operator InstaVolt is working with Cornwall Garage Group as part of a determined drive to roll-out more charging points across the country as the infrastructure to support electric cars grows.
Of the nine they will install across the country, two will be in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth.
Electric car sales are on the up and all car makers are now getting in on the act.
Jaguar Land Rover has said it intends to have an electric version of all its models by 2020 and also wants to make Coventry the centre of its electric vehicle production plans.
Electric vehicle uptake has been slow, in part due to the shortcomings of the current infrastructure, meaning owners suffer from a condition dubbed ‘range anxiety’ – a worry about being able to get to one’s destination without running out of power.
Electric vehicles can be charged at home overnight but more high-tech rapid chargers in public places enable cars to be charged far more quickly, in as little as 45 minutes.
Cornwall Garage Group owns 18 petrol forecourts across England and has announced plans to install rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers at half of those sites.
Forecourts which will be getting the new chargers include Bedworth Services in Heath Road, Bedworth and Glendale Services, in Croft Road, Nuneaton.
David Whistler from Cornwall Garage Group, said: “The automotive landscape is changing and it’s important for us to be ahead of the curve.
“That’s why we’re working with InstaVolt to add to our services and offer provision for drivers of electric cars – as well as motorists using petrol and diesel.”
InstaVolt installs the chargers for free and maintains and updates them at no cost to the forecourt.
The company also pays Cornwall Garage Group a rental income in return for housing them, making its money from the sale of electricity to drivers.
Mr Whistler added: “It was an easy decision for us to make. Using InstaVolt has meant we haven’t had to shell out the capital expenditure to install the chargers.
“We don’t need to worry about maintenance costs going forward either, that’s all taken care of.
“There’s been a bit of nervousness across the fuel retailing industry about the cost implications of installing chargers, particularly in light of the new Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, but this arrangement means we don’t actually have to pay a penny.”
InstaVolt CEO Tim Payne said: “We see petrol forecourts as playing a very important role in e-mobility.
“They are adapting, just as Cornwall Garage Group has, and providing the same service that they do today, just in a slightly different way.
“They are still helping people get back on the road, the only difference is motorists are topping up with electricity instead of petrol or diesel.”
InstaVolt’s rapid DC chargers are available for drivers to use on a pay-as-you-go basis, with users charged for the electricity they use on a per-unit basis.
The charge is 35p per kilowatt hour, with a full charge estimated to cost between £6 and £8.