A solar powered rapid charger which can recharge an electric vehicle in 40 minutes has been installed in Dorset
The unit at Poole Civic Centre is the first of its kind in the UK to be installed by a council as part of a government scheme.
It draws its power from solar panels and is faster than standard chargers which take 8-12 hours.
The rapid charger with three standard charging points draws its power from solar panels (Image: Borough of Poole)
Eighteen chargers are to be installed in Dorset following a £900,000 Department for Transport grant.
During daylight hours, the rapid charger with three standard charging points is powered by a 135kWp solar panel installation on the roof of a nearby multi-storey car park.
Ian Potter, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “We hope other organisations will follow our lead and install solar panels on their buildings to generate carbon free electricity.”
Six of the rapid chargers are set to be installed in Poole, five in Bournemouth and seven in the rest of Dorset.
Source: BBC