Category Archives: Milton Keynes

BP Chargemaster Rapid Charger at Milton Keynes Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

Electric cars: Positive news for EV owners as plan to boost number of public charge points unveiled

Electric vehicle owners will have access to 300,000 public charge points by the end of the decade, the government has said.

Some £500m will be invested to hit the target, according to the Department for Transport, which represents a 10-fold increase on the current 30,000 public charge points across the UK.

The 2030 deadline is the same date the government aims to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, as motorists are encouraged to go electric to help the UK hit net zero by 2050.

Read more: Every key policy in UK’s plan to reach net zero

Helping drivers without access to off-street parking will be a focus when rolling out the new charge points.

The plan, part of the government’s wider Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, also highlights the need to ensure readily accessible fast charging for longer journeys.

At least 6,000 superfast charge points will be installed across England’s motorways by 2035 as part of an existing £950m commitment.

Read more: SkyNews

It’s Time to Go Green!

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Copyright: maridav / 123RF Stock Photo

Remote autonomous car-hailing trial now live in Milton Keynes

British start-up Imperium Drive has started its Fetch trial in Milton Keynes that will see remote-controlled driverless vehicles used as a car-hailing service.

The technology enables users to summon an unmanned vehicle via a smartphone app, which is driven by a remote driver to their location.

The customer then drives the car normally to their destination, from where a remote vehicle operator takes over and pilots the car back to base or to the next user.

 

Copyright: maridav / 123RF Stock Photo

Imperium Drive said for trips up to a couple of hours, the service offers the same convenience as a ride-hailing or taxi service, but with the ability to cover greater distances at less than half the cost of services like Uber or Bolt.

Read more: Smart Transport

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

 

 

Milton Keynes 'Mushrooms' Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

BP Chargemaster opens ‘largest’ universal rapid charging hub

[Of course, some of you will know about this place from my blog in January about the Milton Keynes Mushrooms]

 

BP Chargemaster has opened a new rapid EV charging hub in Milton Keynes, claiming it to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

The hub was developed by Milton Keynes Council and contractor Ringway as part of the Go Ultra Low City programme. It was funded as part of a £9 million investment package from a £40 million pot distributed to various local authorities by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

Milton Keynes 'Mushrooms' Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)
Milton Keynes ‘Mushrooms’ Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

The site hosts eight 50kW rapid chargers that any EV can hook up to and charge from. A universal charging hub gives drivers confidence that they can charge their vehicles and that the infrastructure is there, BP Chargemaster’s Tom Callow told Current±, adding that hubs of this size also help raise consumer awareness.

“It’s a shame if you’re a driver of a different type of EV. You want the kind of experience where you can turn up somewhere and have a really good chance of charging. So it was really important to have chargers that work on every type of EV,” Callow added, continuing that it gives an almost “Tesla-type of experience” that will help “ease people’s minds.”

Over 500 EVs have used the hub since it went live, with the site providing access to the facilities at the main Coachway building, including a café for drivers to pass time in while their vehicle charges.

Read more: Current News

Milton Keynes 'Mushrooms' Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

Milton Keynes Mushrooms: A New Generation of Charging Stations

Driving from Northampton to Surrey to visit my family over Christmas I was due to go past the new Milton Keynes Charging Hub so took the opportunity to call in.

The Hub was developed by Milton Keynes Council with a government grant, with the charging infrastructure provided by BP Chargemaster. I had heard on social media that the hub was recently completed. However there’s been nothing in the mainstream press about it – I’m guessing there’ll be an official launch soon.

Milton Keynes 'Mushrooms' Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)
Milton Keynes ‘Mushrooms’ Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

It is quite difficult to find. It is tucked away at the far corner of the Coachway bus station (near Junction 14 of the M1) and there’s no signage in place yet. There were fresh road markings in place though.

The location is pretty good, not just because of proximity to the motorway. Being co-located with the bus station means that while you wait to charge there’s easy access on foot to its cafe and toilets (though you have to pay 30p for the latter).

The hub consists of a triangular island with 8 rapid chargers around its edge (why not 9?) all covered over with three large concrete ‘mushroom’ canopies for rain protection. I was there mid-week and it was pretty quiet, however two other EVs did call in even during the short time I was there topping up my i3.

Charging is through BP Chargemaster’s Polar network so requires either the Polar Instant app or Polar Plus subscription as described previously.

BP Chargemaster Rapid Charger at Milton Keynes Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)
BP Chargemaster Rapid Charger at Milton Keynes Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

The Hub is a great idea and seems to be implemented well. It also gives an exciting view into the future of organised EV charging, being potentially a bit like using an airport lounge. It represents another nail in the coffin of fossil fuel motoring – who would want to relax and eat at a petrol station?!

If there’s a criticism it’s just the usual one of uneven rapid charger allocation, and one can hardly blame MK council for taking every opportunity to support EVs. But for sure MK alone has more rapid chargers than anywhere else in the UK, including the entire country of Wales.

Slow Charging the ZOE at Highgate (Image: T. Larkum)

‘Milton Keynes Promise’ underway with first charge point installed for on-street charging

Milton Keynes has delivered the first charging point under the council’s ‘MK Promise’, which sets out to provide overnight electric vehicle (EV) charging within a short walk of a new EV owner without off-street parking facilities.

The Chargemaster Fastcharge unit has been installed at Wavendon House, a 17th-century Grade II-listed former outpost of Bletchley Park, following an application on behalf of the residents by John Zlotnicki.

“Whilst it is important to us to preserve and maintain our buildings, landscape and grounds in their historical setting, we recognise the need to ensure that our residents have the opportunity to choose to have environmentally-friendly vehicles.

“The MK Promise scheme enables us to look to the future whilst retaining the best of the past,” he said.

Slow Charging the ZOE at Highgate (Image: T. Larkum)
Slow Charging a ZOE on the street (Image: T. Larkum)

Funded partly through the £9 million Go Ultra Low investment awarded to Milton Keynes by the government in 2016, the ‘MK Promise’ sets out to provide charging solutions to drivers without a dedicated off-street location to charge, such as a driveway or garage.

Milton Keynes residents can submit their application once the process of purchasing or leasing an electric car is underway, at which point the council identifies potential locations within walking distance of their homes.

Read more: Current News

AA Trust launches free EV driving course

The AA Trust is launching the first ever free of charge EV driving course in collaboration with Chargemaster.

AA Trust’s chairman Edmund King

The course was launched following an AA Populus survey of 16,239 drivers, of which 32% said they want to learn to drive in an EV.

Drivers were asked, to what extent would you be interested in a free one-hour electric vehicle driving lesson – aimed to show you how to get the best out if an EV – in your local area?

  • 32% were interested (16% extremely interested, 16% interested)
  • 33% males interested, 30% females
  • 35% younger drivers (18-24, 25-34) interested as opposed to 31% older drivers (65+)
  • Drivers in London were more interested (35%) followed by those in West Midlands and South West (34%)
  • Drivers in North East least interested (26%) followed by those in eastern region (28%)
  • Those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also showed high levels of interest.

AA Driving School and Drive Tech trainers developed the experience in conjunction with Chargemaster and will be piloted in Milton Keynes with a view to be rolled out nationally.

AA Trust’s chairman Edmund King said: “We are approaching a tipping point as more and better electric cars come on stream.

“We want to help drivers understand this exciting new technology at the EV experience centre but we also want to help them get the most out of their electric cars.

“Drive electric sessions, conducted by AA instructors, can either be carried out in the driver’s own electric car, or in one of the EV experience centre’s test drive fleet. The EV Experience and Drive Electric experiences be really put Milton Keynes on the map as the most go-to EV City in the world.”

Chargemaster’s chief executive David Martell said: “The number of electric vehicles in the UK is continuing to grow, and we recently marked the 100,000th plug-in car registration in the UK.

“To get more people driving electric vehicles, getting them behind the wheel is key. The EV experience centre aims to do exactly that, and the drive electric experience sessions from the AA Trust will be a great way to help consumers better understand electric vehicles and how easy they are to live with and how to get the best out of them when driving.”

Source: AM Online

Visit the showroom where you can test drive every electric car

Yet to be convinced that electric cars are the future? EV stalwarts are hoping this unique ‘experience centre’ located in a shopping centre in Milton Keynes could be the encouragement you need to swap your diesel for a plug-in – and we’ve been for a behind-the-scenes look at the showroom which is being described as a “landmark moment”.

Renault ZOE ZE40

The EV experience centre is operated by Chargemaster using Government funds through Milton Keynes’ Go Ultra Low City status. It’s not a pop-up dealership – there’ll be no hard sell, just experts on hand to talk people through electric cars and advise about whether they’ll fit into their lifestyle.

“[There’s] a series of myths people have about electric cars,” transport minister Jesse Norman told Motoring Research during our preview of the EV experience centre.

“They think about whether they might be expensive or whether they’re hard to charge, and how long that takes. An experience centre that actually gives a person the experience of actually sitting behind the wheel or potentially driving it, that just knocks down a whole series of these myths and that makes it much easier to think about buying one.”

BMW i3

The showroom, located in Centre:MK, is multi-brand, displaying cars from partners including Renault, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Nissan, BMW and Kia. The experts on hand won’t be on commission and will be able to give independent advice on which – if any – electric car suits a particular person’s needs.

If an electric car won’t fit a person’s lifestyle, they’ll be honest that they’re better suited to a conventional petrol or diesel car – while, although Tesla isn’t a partner, a visitor with a big budget after a long range and high performance will be pointed in the direction of a Tesla dealership.

“With 17 million people a year coming into this particular shopping centre in Milton Keynes, that’s potentially an awful lot of people who are potentially going to be impressed by it,”

added Norman.

Read more: Motoring Research

First all-EV car showroom opens in Milton Keynes

The UK’s first multi-brand, electric vehicle showroom has opened in central Milton Keynes, with the ambitious aim of trebling the national take-up of EVs and plug-ins in the local area over the next five years.

The showroom, operated by Chargemaster as part of the Milton Keynes’ £9m Go Ultra Low City programme, won’t sell cars directly, and its 11 EV “gurus” are not salesman. They concentrate instead on educating people about the capabilities and advantages of electric vehicles and on showing them a selection of the latest EVs from VW, BMW, Kia, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, Chargemaster’s partners in the venture.

Q&A, David Martell, chief executive, Chargemaster

Will you be looking to attract visitors who are serious about electric cars?

Not necessarily. We’d like to talk to people who are simply curious about them, and want to reach the truth for themselves. We can help with all kinds of facts and figures, impartially delivered because we’re not selling anything. Or we can take people on a familiarization drive.

How does Chargemaster gain from such an apparently philanthropic exercise?

We’re convinced electric cars will play a vital part in future motoring. If that happens, as the country’s leading provider of charging points we’ll benefit. In the meantime, we’re aware of a lack of general knowledge about electric cars and we want to help address that.

When the number of EVs sold is still so small, how can you be confident about their future?

Three things: they’re a great answer to some of the difficult problems we’re facing, the population of EVs is increasing fast (5000 to 100,000 in five years) and the best models are easy to own yet great to drive. Latest forecasts say EV sales will reach 150,000 a year by 2020.

Read more: Autocar

UK’s First Multi-Brand Electric Vehicle Experience

The UK’s first multi-brand electric vehicle showroom – the Electric Vehicle (EV) Experience Centre, operated by Chargemaster – open[ed] its doors in the Centre:MK shopping centre on Saturday 22 July. It will be run by a team of professionally-trained EV gurus, providing information and advice, and visitors will be able to test drive the latest electric cars.

Open seven days a week, the EV Experience Centre will educate visitors on the benefits of driving an EV, supporting Milton Keynes’ transformation into the UK’s first Go Ultra Low City. From impartial advice on specific models, government grants available, different types of plug-in vehicle and charging options, the centre will cover every aspect of EV ownership.

The role of the 11 EV gurus is purely to educate, inform and advise visitors in a relaxed environment, with no sales pressure. The EV Experience centre is part of Milton Keynes Council’s Go Ultra Low City scheme, funded by government, and supports the town’s aim for electric vehicles to make up 23% of all new car sales in the local area within five years.

Jesse Norman MP, Roads Minister said, “We awarded £9m to Milton Keynes to encourage the take-up of ultra-low emission vehicles and it is great to see the city leading the way. There are now more than 100,000 ultra low emission vehicles on our roads, and it is our ambition that nearly every car and van in the UK is zero-emission by 2050.

“We want to retain our position as a global leader in the development, manufacture and use of ultra-low emission vehicles and have committed to invest more than £600m by 2020. Grants worth up to £4,500 are available off the price of new ultra-low emission cars, and I hope many more people will take up this offer.”

Read more: FleetPoint

Electric Car Benefits in Milton Keynes

Following the success of our first eBook we have decided to do another one. The first one was a guide to charging your electric car at home. This one is specific to the Milton Keynes area, where we are based (though of course we deliver nationwide). Milton Keynes is the best city in the world for giving incentives to electric car drivers.

If you are considering an electric car and you live near, work in or visit Milton Keynes, then this is the guide for you.

Red Tesla Model S in the new MK showroom (Image: T. Larkum)
Red Tesla Model S in the new Milton Keynes showroom (Image: T. Larkum)

This eBook tells you all you need to know about the benefits of an electric car in Milton Keynes:

  • Charging in and around Milton Keynes
  • How to get free parking in Central Milton Keynes
  • How to get free parking at MK railway station
  • The Experience Centre, with free test drives and lessons
  • Planned future benefits, e.g driving in bus lanes

The Complete Guide to Electric Car Benefits in Milton Keynes

Click on the image, enter your name and email, and download your free guide.

If it leaves any questions unanswered, just get in touch (contact details here and in the eBook).

Dr Trevor Larkum
FuelIncluded.com
MyRenaultZOE.com