Chargemaster announces launch of POLAR – the UK’s first privately funded nationwide EV charging network
20 Jul 2011
Chargemaster Plc, the leading provider of EV charging infrastructure in Europe, today announces that it is to launch POLAR in September 2011 which will be the UK’s first privately funded nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The roll out of POLAR will initially be in approximately 100 towns and cities across the UK providing 4,000 fully installed electric vehicle charging bays by the end of 2012.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond commented: “Today’s announcement by Chargemaster is exactly the kind of private sector led initiative that we need to drive the development of our national network of recharging infrastructure”
In each of the 100 towns and cities, POLAR will operate around 40 publically available charging bays and this will provide a core strategic nationwide infrastructure enabling electric cars to be bought and used in many towns that previously were not practically equipped for electric cars. The 4,000 unit network is designed to build on and complement the Government supported Plugged in Places (PiPs) programme which is focused on eight locations in the UK.
POLAR will initially launch in over 50 towns over the next nine months complimenting the 8 PiP areas. Chargemaster with the support of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is working with the each PiP areas to ensure interoperability for EV drivers right across the country, thereby enabling motorists to access all charging facilities even when signed up to a different network.
Every town with a POLAR charging network of 40 bays will be granted “EV Ready” status with a certificate presented to the local authority. This will enable the municipality to attract electric car manufacturers such as Renault, Nissan, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Smart and Vauxhall which either have electric cars available now or will shortly be launching new models in their local showrooms. By creating the most comprehensive charging infrastructure in the world it is expected that motor manufacturers will increasingly use the UK as the launch markets for their new ultra low carbon car models.
The initial rollout over the first nine months will involve 50 towns and cities around the country including Basingstoke, Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Crawley, Derby, Eastbourne, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Newbury, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Rochester, Slough, Staines Southend-on-Sea, St. Albans, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Telford, Warwick and Wokingham , amongst others.
POLAR is entirely privately funded with no Government or local authority financial support. Access to the POLAR charging network will be by a small monthly membership subscription and a payment of 90 pence each time a charging unit is used. This provides “fuel” for up to 100 miles of electric car driving compared with around £20 for 100 miles in a comparable petrol or diesel car.*
The technology used in the POLAR network has been developed and manufactured by Chargemaster in the UK and is designed to cater for the very latest in EV charging developments. Every location will enable cars to use the latest Type 2 connectors providing a 7 kW fast charge. All units are three phase 21 kW ready which will enable users to charge cars such as the new Renault range in about one hour in the future. In addition around 20% of all POLAR charging bays will be designated to incorporate “wireless” charging in the future using inductive charging in conjunction with the Company’s partner Halo IPT. Chargemaster has designed all of its charging units to be future proof ensuring that the infrastructure deployed will have a life of at least 15 years at which stage it is widely expected anticipated that there will be between 1m and 2 million electric cars in everyday use in the UK.
David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster said: “For the UK to lead the way in low carbon motoring there is a real need for a comprehensive, targeted, safe and accessible EV infrastructure across all major towns in the country. Most large manufacturers plan to introduce a plug in vehicle to the market by 2014. This shift is stimulated by OEMs need to meet stringent EU carbon reduction targets of face significant fines*. For the British consumer to feel comfortable with switching to EVs, it is plainly obvious that a targeted and comprehensive nationwide charging network is necessary. “
*Calculation based on the average petrol/diesel. car going 35 miles to gallon
* See note 5. Below covering carbon targets for motor manufacturers
Chargemaster announces launch of POLAR – the UK’s first privately funded nationwide EV charging network
20 Jul 2011
Chargemaster Plc, the leading provider of EV charging infrastructure in Europe, today announces that it is to launch POLAR in September 2011 which will be the UK’s first privately funded nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The roll out of POLAR will initially be in approximately 100 towns and cities across the UK providing 4,000 fully installed electric vehicle charging bays by the end of 2012.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond commented: “Today’s announcement by Chargemaster is exactly the kind of private sector led initiative that we need to drive the development of our national network of recharging infrastructure”
In each of the 100 towns and cities, POLAR will operate around 40 publically available charging bays and this will provide a core strategic nationwide infrastructure enabling electric cars to be bought and used in many towns that previously were not practically equipped for electric cars. The 4,000 unit network is designed to build on and complement the Government supported Plugged in Places (PiPs) programme which is focused on eight locations in the UK.
POLAR will initially launch in over 50 towns over the next nine months complimenting the 8 PiP areas. Chargemaster with the support of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is working with the each PiP areas to ensure interoperability for EV drivers right across the country, thereby enabling motorists to access all charging facilities even when signed up to a different network.
Every town with a POLAR charging network of 40 bays will be granted “EV Ready” status with a certificate presented to the local authority. This will enable the municipality to attract electric car manufacturers such as Renault, Nissan, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Smart and Vauxhall which either have electric cars available now or will shortly be launching new models in their local showrooms. By creating the most comprehensive charging infrastructure in the world it is expected that motor manufacturers will increasingly use the UK as the launch markets for their new ultra low carbon car models.
The initial rollout over the first nine months will involve 50 towns and cities around the country including Basingstoke, Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Crawley, Derby, Eastbourne, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Newbury, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Rochester, Slough, Staines Southend-on-Sea, St. Albans, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Telford, Warwick and Wokingham , amongst others.
POLAR is entirely privately funded with no Government or local authority financial support. Access to the POLAR charging network will be by a small monthly membership subscription and a payment of 90 pence each time a charging unit is used. This provides “fuel” for up to 100 miles of electric car driving compared with around £20 for 100 miles in a comparable petrol or diesel car.*
The technology used in the POLAR network has been developed and manufactured by Chargemaster in the UK and is designed to cater for the very latest in EV charging developments. Every location will enable cars to use the latest Type 2 connectors providing a 7 kW fast charge. All units are three phase 21 kW ready which will enable users to charge cars such as the new Renault range in about one hour in the future. In addition around 20% of all POLAR charging bays will be designated to incorporate “wireless” charging in the future using inductive charging in conjunction with the Company’s partner Halo IPT. Chargemaster has designed all of its charging units to be future proof ensuring that the infrastructure deployed will have a life of at least 15 years at which stage it is widely expected anticipated that there will be between 1m and 2 million electric cars in everyday use in the UK.
David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster said: “For the UK to lead the way in low carbon motoring there is a real need for a comprehensive, targeted, safe and accessible EV infrastructure across all major towns in the country. Most large manufacturers plan to introduce a plug in vehicle to the market by 2014. This shift is stimulated by OEMs need to meet stringent EU carbon reduction targets of face significant fines*. For the British consumer to feel comfortable with switching to EVs, it is plainly obvious that a targeted and comprehensive nationwide charging network is necessary. “
*Calculation based on the average petrol/diesel. car going 35 miles to gallon
* See note 5. Below covering carbon targets for motor manufacturers