A network of 14 electric vehicle (EV) rapid chargers, forming Milton Keynes CrossLink and supplied and operated by Chargemaster Plc, has been completed four weeks before the planned launch date. The rapid chargers are some of the first ‘tri-standard’ units in the UK and will allow EV drivers to charge their cars in approximately 20 minutes, enabling cross-country motoring through Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Buckingham and Oxford.
CrossLink is a Milton Keynes Council initiative and the charging units are sited at strategic locations connecting Cambridge and Bedford in the East with Milton Keynes and Cheltenham, Oxford and Buckingham with Milton Keynes to the South West. The units, supplied by local company, Chargemaster Plc (based in Luton), will provide rapid charging to a whole range of the latest electric vehicles.
The ‘tri-standard’ charging points are designed to work with all the latest electric cars including the new BMW i3 and VW e-up!, the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Citroen C Zero, Peugeot Ion, Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Tesla Model S, the first UK models of which arrive next month.
The network of charging points has been partly funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) under a government scheme supporting the growth of ultra low emission vehicles and the respective charging network.
Milton Keynes CrossLink is one of the first from this round of OLEV funding to be completed, and is one of a number of key initiatives being implemented by Milton Keynes Council to make the city a low-carbon and emission-free centre. The network enables electric vehicle owners and operators to recharge their cars several times faster than conventional chargers and allows easy access to the Milton Keynes regional shopping centre and recreation facilities.
List of CrossLink rapid charger sites:
- MK Bus Station, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes
- Avebury Boulevard, Juntion with Lower 12th Street, Milton Keynes
- Outside Xscape, Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes
- Northfield Drive, Northfield, Milton Keynes
- Silverstone Circuit Innovation Centre, Silverstone, Northants
- Silverstone Circuit Wing, Silverstone, Northants
- Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucester
- W. Ganderton, Swan Garage, 20 Bridge Street, Buckingham MK18 1AF
- Oxford Belfry Hotel, Milton Common, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2JW
- Elms BMW, 4 Sheepfold Ln, Cambridge CB23 6EF
- Cambridge Belfry Hotel, Back Ln, Great Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6BW
- Elms BMW, Clifton Parc, Caxton Rd, Bedford MK41 0GL
It is worth reading the opinions expressed at SpeakEV.com, an online community for EV interested persons, enthusiasts and experts alike. There is a little controversy currently surrounding Chargemaster PLC as they have benefited from government grants for several years yet despite this, they are planning to implement paid charging on their network. As such, the EV community who have, up until now, enjoyed free charging of their vehicles at public locations will have to pay a subscription. This is not too far different from other operators business models, but it is cause for debate and frustration amongst some owners.
Read opinions on SpeakEV here: http://speakev.com/threads/chargemaster-press-release-for-crosslink-rapid-ev-charging.1487/
Source; Chargemaster
